The Fall of Shalva and His Elephant

Verse 1 (9.19.1)

सन्निवृत्तेषु सैन्येषु साल्वो म्लेच्छगणाधिपः । अभ्यद्रवत्सुसङ्क्रुद्धः पाण्डवानां महद्बलम् ॥

sannivṛtteṣu sainyeṣu sālvo mlecchagaṇādhipaḥ | abhyadravatsusaṅkruddhaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahadbalam

When the armies had turned back, Shalva, lord of the barbarian hordes, in a great fury attacked the mighty army of the Pandavas,

Note on the text: Speaker: the page heading reads "सञ्जरा उवाच", a misprint for सञ्जय उवाच, corrected here (Sanjaya narrates to Dhritarashtra). Lines differ from CE 9.19.1 (saṃnivṛtte balaughe tu śālvo …; abhyavartata saṃkruddhaḥ pāṇḍūnāṃ sumahad balam); a recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (9.19.2)

आस्थाय सुमहानागं प्रभिन्नं पर्वतोपमम् । सप्तमैरावतप्रख्यममित्रगणमर्दनम् ॥

āsthāya sumahānāgaṃ prabhinnaṃ parvatopamam | saptamairāvataprakhyamamitragaṇamardanam

mounted on a huge elephant in rut, mountain-like, that looked like a seventh Airavata and was a crusher of hostile hosts —

Note on the text: Line 2 सप्तमैरावतप्रख्यम् ("like a seventh Airavata") for CE dṛptam airāvataprakhyam; a recension variant, kept.

Verse 3 (9.19.3)

योऽसौ महान्भद्रकुलप्रसूतः । सुपूजितो धार्तराष्ट्रेण नित्यम् । सुकल्पितः शास्त्रविनिश्चयज्ञैः । सदौपवाह्यः समरेषु राजन् ॥

yo'sau mahānbhadrakulaprasūtaḥ | supūjito dhārtarāṣṭreṇa nityam | sukalpitaḥ śāstraviniścayajñaiḥ | sadaupavāhyaḥ samareṣu rājan

that great beast born in the line of the Bhadra elephants, always highly honoured by Duryodhana, well trained and equipped by those expert in the settled rules of the science, and ever the king's mount in battle, O king —

Note on the text: Four lines = CE 9.19.3a,c (महान्भद्रकुल… and सदौपवाह्यः for CE mahābhadrakula… and sadopavāhyaḥ; variants, kept).

Verse 4 (9.19.4)

ऐरावतं दैत्यगणान्विमृद्नञ् । शक्रो यथा सञ्जनयन्भयानि । तमास्थितो राजवरो बभूव । यथोदयस्थः सविता क्षपान्ते ॥

airāvataṃ daityagaṇānvimṛdnañ | śakro yathā sañjanayanbhayāni | tamāsthito rājavaro babhūva | yathodayasthaḥ savitā kṣapānte

like Shakra upon Airavata, crushing the hordes of Daityas and striking terror, so the best of kings, mounted on that elephant, shone like the sun risen at the close of night.

Note on the text: Corrected विमृद्र → विमृद्न (misprint in Wikisource; the form is the participle vimṛdnan, CE vimṛdnañ); and removed the page's "--", which marks a word run across the line end, moving the sandhi consonant ञ् to the end of line 1 (विमृद्नञ् | शक्रो). Lines 1–2 are the CE star lines 9.19.3d*0112_01–02; lines 3–4 = CE 9.19.4a.

Verse 5 (9.19.5)

स तेन नागप्रवरेण राजन्न् । अभ्युद्ययौ पाण्डुसुतान्समेतान् । शितैः पृषत्कैर्विददार वेगैर् । महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैः सुघोरैः ॥

sa tena nāgapravareṇa rājann | abhyudyayau pāṇḍusutānsametān | śitaiḥ pṛṣatkairvidadāra vegair | mahendravajrapratimaiḥ sughoraiḥ

O king, on that best of elephants he charged at the assembled sons of Pandu and tore into them with sharp, swift arrows, fearsome as the thunderbolt of Mahendra.

Note on the text: Removed the page's "--" that splits राजन्नभ्युद्ययौ across lines 1–2, writing the pāda break as in the CE (राजन्न् | अभ्युद्ययौ). Removed the page's "--" that splits वेगैर्महेन्द्र… across lines 3–4 (वेगैर् | महेन्द्र…). Lines = CE 9.19.4c,e (वेगैर्महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैः for CE cāpi mahendravajrapratimaiḥ, variant).

Verse 6 (9.19.6)

ततः शरान्वै सृजतो महारणे । योधांश्च राजन्नयतो यमालयम् । नास्यान्तरं ददृशुः स्वे परे वा । यथा पुरा वज्रधरस्य दैत्याः ॥

tataḥ śarānvai sṛjato mahāraṇe | yodhāṃśca rājannayato yamālayam | nāsyāntaraṃ dadṛśuḥ sve pare vā | yathā purā vajradharasya daityāḥ

As he loosed his arrows in the great battle and sent warriors to the abode of Yama, O king, neither his own side nor the enemy could find any opening in him, as the Daityas once found none in the wielder of the thunderbolt.

Note on the text: Corrected नास्यानत्रं → नास्यान्तरं (misprint in Wikisource; न for न्त, "no opening in him"; CE nāsyāntaraṃ). Lines = CE 9.19.5a,c (यमालयम् for CE yamāya, variant); the CE star lines 9.19.5b*0113 and 5d*0114 are not in Wikisource.

Verse 7 (9.19.7)

ते पाण्डवाः सोमकाः सृञ्जयाश्च । तमेकनागं ददृशुः समन्तात् । सहस्रशो वै विचरन्तमेकं । यथा महेन्द्रस्य गजं समीपे ॥

te pāṇḍavāḥ somakāḥ sṛñjayāśca | tamekanāgaṃ dadṛśuḥ samantāt | sahasraśo vai vicarantamekaṃ | yathā mahendrasya gajaṃ samīpe

The Pandavas, the Somakas and the Srinjayas saw that one elephant on every side of them, roaming alone yet as if in thousands, like the elephant of Mahendra close at hand.

Note on the text: तमेकनागम् for CE tam eva nāgam (recension variant, kept).

Verse 8 (9.19.8)

सन्द्राव्यमाणं तु बलं परेषां । परेतकल्पं विबभौ समन्ततः । नैवावतस्थे समरे भृशं भयाद् । विमृद्यमानं तु परस्परं तदा ॥

sandrāvyamāṇaṃ tu balaṃ pareṣāṃ | paretakalpaṃ vibabhau samantataḥ | naivāvatasthe samare bhṛśaṃ bhayād | vimṛdyamānaṃ tu parasparaṃ tadā

The enemy's army, driven back, looked on every side like a host already dead; crushed by one another in great fear, it did not hold its ground in the battle.

Note on the text: Removed the page's "--" that splits भयाद्विमृद्यमानं across lines 3–4 (भयाद् | विमृद्यमानं).

Verse 9 (9.19.9)

ततः प्रभग्ना सहसा महाचमूः । सा पाण्डवी तेन नराधिपेन । दिशश्चतस्रः सहसा विधाविता । गजेन्द्रवेगं तमपारयन्ती ॥

tataḥ prabhagnā sahasā mahācamūḥ | sā pāṇḍavī tena narādhipena | diśaścatasraḥ sahasā vidhāvitā | gajendravegaṃ tamapārayantī

Then the great Pandava host, suddenly broken by that lord of men, fled in the four directions, unable to withstand the rush of the king of elephants.

Verse 10 (9.19.10)

दृष्ट्वा च तां वेगवता प्रभग्नां । सर्वे त्वदीया युधि योधमुख्याः । अपूजयंस्ते तु नराधिपं तं । दध्मुश्च शङ्खाञ्शशिसन्निकाशान् ॥

dṛṣṭvā ca tāṃ vegavatā prabhagnāṃ | sarve tvadīyā yudhi yodhamukhyāḥ | apūjayaṃste tu narādhipaṃ taṃ | dadhmuśca śaṅkhāñśaśisannikāśān

Seeing it routed by his swift charge, all your foremost warriors in the battle honoured that king and blew their conches, white as the moon.

Verse 11 (9.19.11)

श्रुत्वा निनादं त्वथ कौरवाणां । हर्षाद्विमुक्तं सह शङ्खशब्दैः । सेनापतिः पाण्डवसृञ्जयानां । पाञ्चालपुत्रो ममृषे न कोपात् ॥

śrutvā ninādaṃ tvatha kauravāṇāṃ | harṣādvimuktaṃ saha śaṅkhaśabdaiḥ | senāpatiḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayānāṃ | pāñcālaputro mamṛṣe na kopāt

Hearing the roar of the Kauravas, loosed in joy together with the blasts of conches, the Panchala prince, commander of the Pandavas and Srinjayas, could not endure it in his anger.

Verse 12 (9.19.12)

ततस्तु तं वै द्विरदं महात्मा । प्रत्युद्ययौ त्वरमाणो जयाय । जम्भो यथा शक्रसमागमे वै । नागेन्द्रमैरावणमिन्द्रवाह्यम् ॥

tatastu taṃ vai dviradaṃ mahātmā | pratyudyayau tvaramāṇo jayāya | jambho yathā śakrasamāgame vai | nāgendramairāvaṇamindravāhyam

Then that great-souled one, hurrying for victory, charged that elephant, as Jambha charged Airavana, Indra's mount and lord of elephants, when he met Shakra.

Verse 13 (9.19.13)

तमापतन्तं सहसा तु दृष्ट्वा । पाञ्चालपुत्रं युधि राजसिंहः । तं वै द्विपं प्रेषयामास तूर्णं । वधाय राजन्द्रुपदात्मजस्य ॥

tamāpatantaṃ sahasā tu dṛṣṭvā | pāñcālaputraṃ yudhi rājasiṃhaḥ | taṃ vai dvipaṃ preṣayāmāsa tūrṇaṃ | vadhāya rājandrupadātmajasya

Seeing the Panchala prince suddenly bearing down on him in the battle, that lion among kings quickly sent the elephant forth to slay the son of Drupada, O king.

Verse 14 (9.19.14)

स तं द्विपेन्द्रं सहसापतन्तम् । अविध्यदग्निप्रतिमैः पृषत्कैः । कर्मारधौतैर्निशितैर्ज्वलद्भिर् । नाराचमुख्यैस्त्रिभिरुग्रवेगैः ॥

sa taṃ dvipendraṃ sahasāpatantam | avidhyadagnipratimaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ | karmāradhautairniśitairjvaladbhir | nārācamukhyaistribhirugravegaiḥ

As that lord of elephants suddenly charged him, Dhrishtadyumna pierced it with fire-bright arrows — three of the finest iron arrows, polished by the smith, whetted, blazing and swift.

Note on the text: Removed the page's "--" that splits सहसापतन्तमविध्यद् across lines 1–2, writing the pāda break as in the CE (सहसापतन्तम् | अविध्यद्). Removed the page's "--" that splits ज्वलद्भिर्नाराच… across lines 3–4 (ज्वलद्भिर् | नाराच…). Lines differ from CE 9.19.13 (sa taṃ dvipaṃ sahasābhyāpatantam; arkapratimaiḥ): अग्निप्रतिमैः and द्विपेन्द्रं are variants, kept.

Verse 15 (9.19.15)

ततोऽपरान्पञ्चशतान्महात्मा । नाराचमुख्यान्विससर्ज कुम्भे । स तैस्तु विद्धः परमद्विपो रणे । तदा परावृत्य भृशं प्रदुद्रुवे ॥

tato'parānpañcaśatānmahātmā | nārācamukhyānvisasarja kumbhe | sa taistu viddhaḥ paramadvipo raṇe | tadā parāvṛtya bhṛśaṃ pradudruve

Then the great-souled one let fly five hundred more of the best iron arrows into the elephant's temple. Pierced by them, the huge beast turned back in the battle and bolted headlong.

Verse 16 (9.19.16)

तं नागराजं सहसा प्रणुन्नं । विद्राव्यमाणं विनिवर्त्य साल्वः । तोत्राङ्कुशैः प्रेषयामास तूर्णं । पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतं प्रदिश्य ॥

taṃ nāgarājaṃ sahasā praṇunnaṃ | vidrāvyamāṇaṃ vinivartya sālvaḥ | totrāṅkuśaiḥ preṣayāmāsa tūrṇaṃ | pāñcālarājasya sutaṃ pradiśya

Shalva turned back that king of elephants as it was being driven off and, pointing out the Panchala king's son to it, sent it swiftly forward with prods and goads.

Note on the text: Lines differ from CE 9.19.15 (vidrāvyamāṇaṃ ca nigṛhya; pāñcālarājasya rathaṃ pradiśya): Wikisource reads विनिवर्त्य and सुतं प्रदिश्य (recension variants, kept).

Verse 17 (9.19.17)

दृष्ट्वा पतन्तं सहसा तु नागं । धृष्टद्युम्नः स्वरथाच्छीघ्रमेव । गदां प्रगृह्योग्रजवेन वीरो । भूमिं प्रपन्नो भयविह्वलाङ्गः ॥

dṛṣṭvā patantaṃ sahasā tu nāgaṃ | dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ svarathācchīghrameva | gadāṃ pragṛhyograjavena vīro | bhūmiṃ prapanno bhayavihvalāṅgaḥ

Seeing the elephant bearing down on him, Dhrishtadyumna, the hero, quickly came down from his chariot to the ground, mace in hand, his limbs unsteady with fear.

Verse 18 (9.19.18)

स तं रथं हेमविभूषिताङ्गं । साश्वं ससूतं सहसा विमृद्य । उत्क्षिप्य हस्तेन नदन्महाद्विपो । विपोथयामास वसुन्धरातले ॥

sa taṃ rathaṃ hemavibhūṣitāṅgaṃ | sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ sahasā vimṛdya | utkṣipya hastena nadanmahādvipo | vipothayāmāsa vasundharātale

The great elephant crushed that chariot, adorned with gold, together with its horses and charioteer, and lifting it in its trunk, bellowing, dashed it to the ground.

Verse 19 (9.19.19)

पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतं च दृष्ट्वा । तदार्दितं नागवरेण तेन । तमभ्यधावत्सहसा जवेन । भीमः शिखण्डी च शिनेश्च नप्ता ॥

pāñcālarājasya sutaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā | tadārditaṃ nāgavareṇa tena | tamabhyadhāvatsahasā javena | bhīmaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca śineśca naptā

Seeing the Panchala king's son so tormented by that great elephant, Bhima, Shikhandi and the grandson of Shini rushed at it swiftly.

Verse 20 (9.19.20)

शरैश्च वेगं सहसा निगृह्य । तस्याभितो व्यापततो गजस्य । स सङ्गृहीतो रथिभिर्गजो वै । चचाल तैर्वार्यमाणश्च सङ्ख्ये ॥

śaraiśca vegaṃ sahasā nigṛhya | tasyābhito vyāpatato gajasya | sa saṅgṛhīto rathibhirgajo vai | cacāla tairvāryamāṇaśca saṅkhye

They suddenly checked the elephant's rush with their arrows as it charged at them from all sides, and held fast by the chariot-warriors, that elephant staggered in the fight, restrained by them.

Verse 21 (9.19.21)

ततः पृषत्कान्प्रववर्ष राजा । सूर्यो यथा रश्मिजालं समन्तात् । तैराशुगैर्वध्यमाना रथौघाः । प्रदुद्रुवुः सहितास्तत्रतत्र ॥

tataḥ pṛṣatkānpravavarṣa rājā | sūryo yathā raśmijālaṃ samantāt | tairāśugairvadhyamānā rathaughāḥ | pradudruvuḥ sahitāstatratatra

Then the king rained arrows on every side, as the sun spreads his net of rays; struck by those swift shafts, the throngs of chariots fled together this way and that.

Note on the text: Line 3 तैराशुगैः and line 4 सहितास्तत्रतत्र for CE tenāśugaiḥ … tatra tatas tu sarve (recension variants, kept).

Verse 22 (9.19.22)

तत्कर्म साल्वस्य समीक्ष्य सर्वे । पाञ्चालपुत्रा नृप सृञ्जयाश्च । हाहाकारैर्नादयन्ति स्म युद्धे । द्विपं समन्ताद्रुरुधुर्नराग्र्याः ॥

tatkarma sālvasya samīkṣya sarve | pāñcālaputrā nṛpa sṛñjayāśca | hāhākārairnādayanti sma yuddhe | dvipaṃ samantādrurudhurnarāgryāḥ

Seeing that deed of Shalva, all the Panchala princes and the Srinjayas, O king, filled the battle with cries of alarm, and those foremost of men surrounded the elephant on all sides.

Note on the text: पाञ्चालपुत्रा for CE pāñcālamatsyāḥ (recension variant, kept).

Verse 23 (9.19.23)

पाञ्चालपुत्रस्त्वरितस्तु शूरो । गदां प्रगृह्याचलशृङ्गकल्पाम् । ससम्भ्रमं भारत शत्रुघाती । जवेन वीरोऽनुससार नागम् ॥

pāñcālaputrastvaritastu śūro | gadāṃ pragṛhyācalaśṛṅgakalpām | sasambhramaṃ bhārata śatrughātī | javena vīro'nusasāra nāgam

The Panchala prince, the hero, slayer of foes, in haste and in great excitement, O Bharata, took up a mace like a mountain peak and ran swiftly after the elephant.

Verse 24 (9.19.24)

ततस्तु नागं धरणीधराभं । मदं स्रवन्तं जलदप्रकाशम् । गदां समाविध्य भृशं जघान । पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतस्तरस्वी ॥

tatastu nāgaṃ dharaṇīdharābhaṃ | madaṃ sravantaṃ jaladaprakāśam | gadāṃ samāvidhya bhṛśaṃ jaghāna | pāñcālarājasya sutastarasvī

Then the energetic son of the Panchala king whirled his mace and struck hard that elephant, huge as a mountain, streaming rut-fluid, cloud-like.

Note on the text: Corrected समातिध्य → समाविध्य (misprint in Wikisource; ति for वि; CE samāvidhya).

Verse 25 (9.19.25)

स भिन्नकुम्भः सहसा विनद्य । मुखात्प्रभूतं क्षतजं विमुञ्चन् । पपात नागो धरणीधराभः । क्षितिप्रकम्पाच्चलितो यथाऽद्रिः ॥

sa bhinnakumbhaḥ sahasā vinadya | mukhātprabhūtaṃ kṣatajaṃ vimuñcan | papāta nāgo dharaṇīdharābhaḥ | kṣitiprakampāccalito yathā'driḥ

Its temple split, bellowing suddenly and pouring forth much blood from its mouth, the mountain-like elephant fell, like a mountain shaken loose by an earthquake.

Note on the text: Corrected धरमीधराभः → धरणीधराभः (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण; CE dharaṇīdharābhaḥ).

Verse 26 (9.19.26)

निपात्यमाने तु तदा गजेन्द्रे । हाहाकृते तव पुत्रस्य सैन्ये । स साल्वराजस्य शिनिप्रवीरो । जहार भल्लेन शिरः शितेन ॥

nipātyamāne tu tadā gajendre | hāhākṛte tava putrasya sainye | sa sālvarājasya śinipravīro | jahāra bhallena śiraḥ śitena

As the king of elephants was being felled and wails rose in your son's army, the hero of the Shini line cut off Shalva's head with a sharp broad-headed arrow.

Verse 27 (9.19.27)

हृतोत्तमाङ्गो युधि सात्वतेन । पपात भूमौ सह नागराज्ञा । यथाऽद्रिशृङ्गं सुमहत्प्रणुन्नं । वज्रेण देवाधिपचोदितेन ॥

hṛtottamāṅgo yudhi sātvatena | papāta bhūmau saha nāgarājñā | yathā'driśṛṅgaṃ sumahatpraṇunnaṃ | vajreṇa devādhipacoditena

His head struck off in the battle by the Satvata, Shalva fell to the ground together with the king of elephants, like a huge mountain peak shattered by the thunderbolt hurled by the lord of the gods.