Shalya Holds Off the Pandavas

Verse 1 (9.14.1)

दुर्योधनो महाराज धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः । चक्रतुः सुमहद्युद्धं शरशक्तिसमाकुलम् ॥

duryodhano mahārāja dhṛṣṭadyumnaśca pārṣataḥ | cakratuḥ sumahadyuddhaṃ śaraśaktisamākulam

Duryodhana and Dhrishtadyumna, son of Prishata, O great king, fought a very great battle, thick with arrows and spears.

Verse 2 (9.14.2)

ततो राजन्समापेतुः शरधाराः सहस्रशः । अम्बुदानां यथा काले जलधाराः समन्ततः ॥

tato rājansamāpetuḥ śaradhārāḥ sahasraśaḥ | ambudānāṃ yathā kāle jaladhārāḥ samantataḥ

Then, O king, streams of arrows fell by the thousand on every side, like streams of water from the clouds in due season.

Note on the text: CE 9.14.2 reads tayor āsan mahārāja śaradhārāḥ sahasraśaḥ for the page's first line (recension variant, kept).

Verse 3 (9.14.3)

राजा च पार्षतं विद्ध्वा शरैः पञ्चभिराशुगैः । द्रोणहन्तारमुग्रेषुं पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभिः ॥

rājā ca pārṣataṃ viddhvā śaraiḥ pañcabhirāśugaiḥ | droṇahantāramugreṣuṃ punarvivyādha saptabhiḥ

The king, having pierced the son of Prishata with five swift arrows, pierced again with seven the slayer of Drona, whose arrows were fierce.

Verse 4 (9.14.4)

धृष्टद्युम्नस्तु समरे बलवान्दृढविक्रमः । सप्तत्या विशिखानां वै दुर्योधनमपीडयत् ॥

dhṛṣṭadyumnastu samare balavāndṛḍhavikramaḥ | saptatyā viśikhānāṃ vai duryodhanamapīḍayat

But Dhrishtadyumna, strong and firm in valour, afflicted Duryodhana in the fight with seventy arrows.

Verse 5 (9.14.5)

पीडितं वीक्ष्य राजानं सोदर्या भरतर्षभ । महत्या सेनया सार्धं परिवव्रुः स्म पार्षतम् ॥

pīḍitaṃ vīkṣya rājānaṃ sodaryā bharatarṣabha | mahatyā senayā sārdhaṃ parivavruḥ sma pārṣatam

Seeing the king afflicted, O best of the Bharatas, his brothers, together with a great army, surrounded the son of Prishata.

Verse 6 (9.14.6)

स तैः परिवृतः शूरः सर्वतोऽतिरथैर्भृशम् । व्यचरत्समरे राजन्दर्शयन्नस्त्रलाघवम् ॥

sa taiḥ parivṛtaḥ śūraḥ sarvato'tirathairbhṛśam | vyacaratsamare rājandarśayannastralāghavam

Surrounded by them, on every side, by great chariot-warriors in force, the hero moved about the field, O king, showing his lightness with weapons.

Note on the text: Corrected सर्वतोऽतिरथै र्भृशम् → सर्वतोऽतिरथैर्भृशम् (stray space inside the word; the instrumental plural अतिरथैः + भृशम् is written together, CE sarvato 'tirathair bhṛśam).

Verse 7 (9.14.7)

शिखण्डी कृतवर्माणं गौतमं च महारथम् । प्रभद्रकैः समायुक्तो योधयामास धन्विनौ ॥

śikhaṇḍī kṛtavarmāṇaṃ gautamaṃ ca mahāratham | prabhadrakaiḥ samāyukto yodhayāmāsa dhanvinau

Shikhandi, joined by the Prabhadrakas, fought Kritavarman and the great chariot-warrior Gautama, those two archers.

Verse 8 (9.14.8)

तत्रापि सुमहद्युद्धं घोररूपं विशाम्पते । प्राणान्सन्त्यजतां युद्धे प्राणद्यूताभिदेवने ॥

tatrāpi sumahadyuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ viśāmpate | prāṇānsantyajatāṃ yuddhe prāṇadyūtābhidevane

There too a very great and terrible battle took place, O lord of the people, in which men gave up their lives, as in a gambling match with life as the stake.

Note on the text: Corrected प्राणान्सन्तजतां → प्राणान्सन्त्यजतां (misprint in Wikisource; the conjunct त्य is dropped, CE prāṇān saṃtyajatāṃ (those casting away their lives)).

Verse 9 (9.14.9)

शल्यः सायकवर्षाणि विमुञ्जन्सर्वतोदिशम् । पाण्डवान्पीडयामास ससात्यकिवृकोदरान् ॥

śalyaḥ sāyakavarṣāṇi vimuñjansarvatodiśam | pāṇḍavānpīḍayāmāsa sasātyakivṛkodarān

Shalya, loosing showers of arrows in every direction, afflicted the Pandavas, together with Satyaki and Vrikodara.

Verse 10 (9.14.10)

तथा तौ तु यमौ यमतुल्यपराक्रमौ । योधयामास राजेन्द्र वीर्येणास्त्रबलेन च ॥

tathā tau tu yamau yamatulyaparākramau | yodhayāmāsa rājendra vīryeṇāstrabalena ca

And he fought those two, the twins, equal to Yama in prowess, O king of kings, with his strength and the power of his weapons.

Verse 11 (9.14.11)

शल्यसायकनुन्नानां पाण्डवानां महामृधे । त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त केचित्तत्र महारथाः ॥

śalyasāyakanunnānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahāmṛdhe | trātāraṃ nādhyagacchanta kecittatra mahārathāḥ

Of the Pandavas, driven back by Shalya's arrows in that great carnage, some of the great chariot-warriors found no protector there.

Verse 12 (9.14.12)

ततस्तु नकुलः शूरो धर्मराजे प्रपीडिते । अभिदुद्राव वेगेन मातुलं माद्रिनन्दनः ॥

tatastu nakulaḥ śūro dharmarāje prapīḍite | abhidudrāva vegena mātulaṃ mādrinandanaḥ

Then the hero Nakula, son of Madri, seeing Dharmaraja badly hurt, rushed swiftly at his maternal uncle.

Verse 13 (9.14.13)

सञ्छाद्य समरे वीरं नकुलः परवीरहा । विव्याध चैनं दशभिः स्मयमानः स्तनान्तरे ॥

sañchādya samare vīraṃ nakulaḥ paravīrahā | vivyādha cainaṃ daśabhiḥ smayamānaḥ stanāntare

Covering that hero in the battle, Nakula, slayer of enemy heroes, smiling, pierced him between the breasts with ten arrows,

Verse 14 (9.14.14)

सर्वपारसवैर्बाणैः कर्मारपरिमार्जितैः । स्वर्णपुङ्खैः शिलाधौतैर्धनुर्यन्त्रप्रचोदितैः ॥

sarvapārasavairbāṇaiḥ karmāraparimārjitaiḥ | svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilādhautairdhanuryantrapracoditaiḥ

arrows wholly of iron, burnished by the smith, with golden shafts, whetted on stone, and sped from the bow.

Verse 15 (9.14.15)

शल्यस्तु पीडितस्तेन स्वस्रीयेण हि मातुलः । नकुलं पीडयामास पत्रिभिर्नतपर्वभिः ॥

śalyastu pīḍitastena svasrīyeṇa hi mātulaḥ | nakulaṃ pīḍayāmāsa patribhirnataparvabhiḥ

But Shalya, his maternal uncle, pained by that nephew, afflicted Nakula with feathered arrows of well-bent joints.

Verse 16 (9.14.16)

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा भीमसेनोऽथ सात्यकिः । सहदेवश्च माद्रेयो मद्रराजमुपाद्रवन् ॥

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā bhīmaseno'tha sātyakiḥ | sahadevaśca mādreyo madrarājamupādravan

Then King Yudhishthira, Bhimasena and Satyaki, and Sahadeva, Madri's son, rushed upon the king of the Madras.

Note on the text: Corrected माद्रेणो → माद्रेयो (misprint in Wikisource; ण for य, माद्रेय 'son of Madri' is the word (CE mādreyaḥ)).

Verse 17 (9.14.17)

तानापतत एवाशु पूरयाणान्रथस्वनैः । दिशश्च विदिशश्चैव कम्पयानांश्च मेदिनीम् । प्रतिजग्राह समरे सेनापतिरमित्रजित् ॥

tānāpatata evāśu pūrayāṇānrathasvanaiḥ | diśaśca vidiśaścaiva kampayānāṃśca medinīm | pratijagrāha samare senāpatiramitrajit

As they came rushing on, filling the quarters and intermediate quarters with the rattle of their chariots and making the earth tremble, the commander, conqueror of foes, met them in the battle.

Verse 18 (9.14.18)

युधिष्ठिरं त्रिभिर्विद्ध्वा भीमसेनं च पञ्चभिः । सात्यकिं च शतेनाजौ सहदेवं त्रिभिः शरैः ॥

yudhiṣṭhiraṃ tribhirviddhvā bhīmasenaṃ ca pañcabhiḥ | sātyakiṃ ca śatenājau sahadevaṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ

He pierced Yudhishthira with three arrows, Bhimasena with five, Satyaki in the fight with a hundred, and Sahadeva with three arrows.

Note on the text: CE 9.14.18 has saptabhiḥ (seven) for Bhimasena where the page has पञ्चभिः (five); number variant, kept.

Verse 19 (9.14.19)

ततस्तु सशरं चापं नकुलस्य महात्मनः । मद्रेश्वरः क्षुरप्रेण मध्ये चिच्छेद मारिष ॥

tatastu saśaraṃ cāpaṃ nakulasya mahātmanaḥ | madreśvaraḥ kṣurapreṇa madhye ciccheda māriṣa

Then the lord of the Madras, O sire, cut through the middle, with a razor-headed arrow, the bow of the great-souled Nakula, together with its arrow.

Note on the text: Not aligned automatically. Line 1 = CE 9.14.19a (identical); line 2 = CE 9.14.19c with मध्ये for the CE's tadā (recension variant). The CE's third line (19e, tad aśīryata vicchinnaṃ dhanuḥ śalyasya sāyakaiḥ) corresponds to the first line of the next verse.

Verse 20 (9.14.20)

तदपास्य धनुश्छिन्नं ततः शल्यस्य सायकैः । अथान्यद्धनुरादाय माद्रीपुत्रो महारथः । मद्रराजरथं तूर्णं पूरयामास पत्रिभिः ॥

tadapāsya dhanuśchinnaṃ tataḥ śalyasya sāyakaiḥ | athānyaddhanurādāya mādrīputro mahārathaḥ | madrarājarathaṃ tūrṇaṃ pūrayāmāsa patribhiḥ

Casting aside that bow, cut by Shalya's arrows, the great chariot-warrior, Madri's son, took another bow and quickly filled the Madra king's chariot with feathered shafts.

Note on the text: Not aligned automatically. Line 1 corresponds to the CE's 9.14.19e (tad aśīryata vicchinnaṃ dhanuḥ śalyasya sāyakaiḥ), worded differently on the page (tad apāsya dhanuś chinnaṃ tataḥ śalyasya sāyakaiḥ); lines 2–3 = CE 9.14.20a and 9.14.20c exactly. ce_ref is the CE verse holding the first line.

Verse 21 (9.14.21)

युधिष्ठिरस्तु मद्रेशं सहदेवश्च मारिष । दशभिर्दशभिर्बाणैरुरस्येनमविध्यताम् ॥

yudhiṣṭhirastu madreśaṃ sahadevaśca māriṣa | daśabhirdaśabhirbāṇairurasyenamavidhyatām

Yudhishthira and Sahadeva, O sire, struck the king of the Madras in the chest, each with ten arrows.

Verse 22 (9.14.22)

भीमसेनस्तु तं षष्ट्या सात्यकिर्दशभिः शरैः । मद्रराजमभिद्रुत्य जघ्नतुः कङ्कपत्रिभिः ॥

bhīmasenastu taṃ ṣaṣṭyā sātyakirdaśabhiḥ śaraiḥ | madrarājamabhidrutya jaghnatuḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ

Bhimasena struck him with sixty arrows and Satyaki with ten; rushing at the king of the Madras, the two struck him with heron-feathered arrows.

Note on the text: Restored xxङ्कपत्रिभिः → कङ्कपत्रिभिः (two letters printed as 'xx' in Wikisource (a lost क); restored to कङ्कपत्रिभिः, CE kaṅkapatribhiḥ).

Verse 23 (9.14.23)

मद्रराजस्ततः क्रुद्धः सात्यकिं नवभिः शरैः । विव्याध भूयः सप्तत्या शराणां नतपर्वणाम् ॥

madrarājastataḥ kruddhaḥ sātyakiṃ navabhiḥ śaraiḥ | vivyādha bhūyaḥ saptatyā śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām

Then the Madra king, enraged, pierced Satyaki with nine arrows, and again with seventy arrows of well-bent joints.

Verse 24 (9.14.24)

अथास्य सशरं चापं मुष्टौ चिच्छेद मारिष । हयांश्च चतुरः सङ्ख्ये प्रेषयामास मृत्यवे ॥

athāsya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ muṣṭau ciccheda māriṣa | hayāṃśca caturaḥ saṅkhye preṣayāmāsa mṛtyave

Then, O sire, he cut his bow, with its arrow, in his very grip, and sent his four horses to death in the battle.

Verse 25 (9.14.25)

विरथं सात्यकिं कृत्वा मद्रराजो महारथः । विशिखानां शतेनैनमाजघान समन्ततः ॥

virathaṃ sātyakiṃ kṛtvā madrarājo mahārathaḥ | viśikhānāṃ śatenainamājaghāna samantataḥ

Having left Satyaki without a chariot, the Madra king, the great chariot-warrior, struck him on every side with a hundred arrows.

Verse 26 (9.14.26)

माद्रीपुत्रं च संरब्धो भीमसेनं च पाण्डवम् । युधिष्ठिरं च कौरव्य विव्याध दशभिः शरैः ॥

mādrīputraṃ ca saṃrabdho bhīmasenaṃ ca pāṇḍavam | yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca kauravya vivyādha daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ

And enraged, O Kaurava, he pierced Madri's son, the Pandava Bhimasena, and Yudhishthira too, with ten arrows.

Verse 27 (9.14.27)

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम मद्रराजस्य पौरुषम् । यदेनं सहिताः पार्था नाभ्यवर्तन्त संयुगे ॥

tatrādbhutamapaśyāma madrarājasya pauruṣam | yadenaṃ sahitāḥ pārthā nābhyavartanta saṃyuge

There we saw a marvel, the prowess of the Madra king: that the Parthas, though united, could not stand against him in the battle.

Verse 28 (9.14.28)

अथान्यं रथमास्थाय सात्यकिः सत्यविक्रमः । पीडितान्पाण्डवान्दृष्ट्वा मद्रराजवशं गतान् । अभिदुद्राव वेगेन मद्राणामधिपं बलात् ॥

athānyaṃ rathamāsthāya sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ | pīḍitānpāṇḍavāndṛṣṭvā madrarājavaśaṃ gatān | abhidudrāva vegena madrāṇāmadhipaṃ balāt

Then Satyaki, true in valour, mounting another chariot and seeing the Pandavas afflicted and fallen under the Madra king's power, rushed forcefully and swiftly at the lord of the Madras.

Verse 29 (9.14.29)

आपतन्तं रथं तस्य शल्यः समितिशोभनः । प्रत्युद्ययौ रथेनैव मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम् ॥

āpatantaṃ rathaṃ tasya śalyaḥ samitiśobhanaḥ | pratyudyayau rathenaiva matto mattamiva dvipam

Shalya, resplendent in battle, advanced to meet his chariot as it came on, with his own chariot, like one rutting elephant against another.

Verse 30 (9.14.30)

स सन्निपातस्तुमुलो बभूवाद्भुतदर्शनः । सात्यकेश्चैव शूरस्य मद्राणामधिपस्य च । यादृशो वै पुरा वृत्तः शम्बरामरराजयोः ॥

sa sannipātastumulo babhūvādbhutadarśanaḥ | sātyakeścaiva śūrasya madrāṇāmadhipasya ca | yādṛśo vai purā vṛttaḥ śambarāmararājayoḥ

That clash between the hero Satyaki and the lord of the Madras was tumultuous and wonderful to behold, like that which took place of old between Shambara and the king of the gods.

Verse 31 (9.14.31)

सात्यकिः प्रेक्ष्य समरे मद्रराजमवस्थितम् । विव्याध दशभिर्बाणैस्तिष्ठतिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥

sātyakiḥ prekṣya samare madrarājamavasthitam | vivyādha daśabhirbāṇaistiṣṭhatiṣṭheti cābravīt

Seeing the Madra king standing firm in the battle, Satyaki pierced him with ten arrows and said, "Stand, stand!"

Verse 32 (9.14.32)

मद्रराजस्तु सुभृशं विद्धस्तेन महात्मना । सात्यकिं प्रतिविव्याध चित्रपुङ्खैः शितैः शरैः ॥

madrarājastu subhṛśaṃ viddhastena mahātmanā | sātyakiṃ prativivyādha citrapuṅkhaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ

The Madra king, deeply pierced by that great-souled warrior, pierced Satyaki in return with sharp arrows of variegated feathers.

Verse 33 (9.14.33)

ततः पार्था महेष्वासाः सात्वताऽभिसृतं नृपम् । अभ्यवर्तन्रथैस्तूर्णं मातुलं वधकाङ्क्षया ॥

tataḥ pārthā maheṣvāsāḥ sātvatā'bhisṛtaṃ nṛpam | abhyavartanrathaistūrṇaṃ mātulaṃ vadhakāṅkṣayā

Then the Parthas, the great archers, seeing the king attacked by the Satvata, quickly advanced in their chariots on their maternal uncle, wishing to kill him.

Verse 34 (9.14.34)

तत आसीत्परामर्दस्तुमुलः शोणितोदकः । शूराणां युध्यमानानां सिंहानामिव नर्दताम् ॥

tata āsītparāmardastumulaḥ śoṇitodakaḥ | śūrāṇāṃ yudhyamānānāṃ siṃhānāmiva nardatām

Then there was a tumultuous carnage, with blood for its water, of the heroes fighting like roaring lions.

Verse 35 (9.14.35)

तेषामासीन्महाराज व्यधिक्षेपः परस्परम् । सिंहानामामिषेप्सूनां कूजतामिव संयुगे ॥

teṣāmāsīnmahārāja vyadhikṣepaḥ parasparam | siṃhānāmāmiṣepsūnāṃ kūjatāmiva saṃyuge

There was, great king, a mutual reviling among them, like lions greedy for flesh roaring in the fight.

Verse 36 (9.14.36)

तेषां बाणसहस्रौघैराकीर्णा वसुधाऽभवत् । अन्तरिक्षं च सहसा बाणभूतमभूत्तदा ॥

teṣāṃ bāṇasahasraughairākīrṇā vasudhā'bhavat | antarikṣaṃ ca sahasā bāṇabhūtamabhūttadā

The earth was strewn with their thousands of volleys of arrows, and the sky at once became nothing but arrows.

Verse 37 (9.14.37)

शरान्धकारं सहसा कृतं तेन समन्ततः । अभ्रच्छायेव सञ्जज्ञे शरैर्मुक्तैर्महात्मभिः ॥

śarāndhakāraṃ sahasā kṛtaṃ tena samantataḥ | abhracchāyeva sañjajñe śarairmuktairmahātmabhiḥ

By this a darkness of arrows was suddenly made on every side; it was like the shadow of clouds, made by the arrows loosed by those great-souled men.

Verse 38 (9.14.38)

तत्र राजञ्शरैर्मुक्तैर्निर्मुक्तैरिव पन्नगैः । स्वर्णपुङ्खैः प्रकाशद्भिर्व्यरोचन्त दिशस्तदा ॥

tatra rājañśarairmuktairnirmuktairiva pannagaiḥ | svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ prakāśadbhirvyarocanta diśastadā

There, O king, the quarters shone then with the golden-feathered, gleaming arrows that were loosed, like serpents that have cast their slough.

Note on the text: Corrected पन्नैगः → पन्नगैः (misprint in Wikisource; 'serpents' is पन्नगैः (instrumental plural, agreeing with निर्मुक्तैः), CE pannagaiḥ).

Verse 39 (9.14.39)

तत्राद्भुतं परं चक्रे शल्यः शत्रुनिबर्हणः । यदेकः समरे शूरो योधयामास वै बहून् ॥

tatrādbhutaṃ paraṃ cakre śalyaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ | yadekaḥ samare śūro yodhayāmāsa vai bahūn

Shalya, destroyer of foes, did a supreme marvel there: that he, one hero, fought many in the battle.

Verse 40 (9.14.40)

मद्रराजभुजोत्सृष्टैः कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैः । सम्पतद्भिः शरैर्घोरैरवाकीर्यत मेदिनी ॥

madrarājabhujotsṛṣṭaiḥ kaṅkabarhiṇavājitaiḥ | sampatadbhiḥ śarairghorairavākīryata medinī

The earth was strewn with terrible arrows flying down, loosed from the Madra king's arms, winged with the feathers of herons and peacocks.

Verse 41 (9.14.41)

तत्र शल्यरथं राजन्विचरन्तं महाहवे । अपश्याम यथापूर्वं शक्रस्यासुरसंक्षये ॥

tatra śalyarathaṃ rājanvicarantaṃ mahāhave | apaśyāma yathāpūrvaṃ śakrasyāsurasaṃkṣaye

There, O king, in the great battle, we saw Shalya's chariot moving about as of old we saw Shakra's in the destruction of the Asuras.