Mahabharata — Volume IV (Dutt edition) — Chapter 23

MBh 4 23.1

संजय उवाच ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा स्वां सेनां समनोदयत्। प्रतिव्यूहन्ननीकानि भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभ॥

saṃjaya uvāca tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā svāṃ senāṃ samanodayat| prativyūhannanīkāni bhīṣmasya bharatarṣabha||

Sanjaya said 0 best of the Bharata race, then king Yudhishthira, after placing his troops duly in battle-array against the army of Bhishma, thus spoke.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.2

यथोद्दिष्टान्यनीकानि प्रत्यव्यूहन्त पाण्डवाः। स्वर्ग परममिच्छन्तः सुयुद्धेन कुरूद्वहाः॥

yathoddiṣṭānyanīkāni pratyavyūhanta pāṇḍavāḥ| svarga paramamicchantaḥ suyuddhena kurūdvahāḥ||

The Pandavas have now placed their troops in counter-array in the way laid down in the Shastras. O sinless ones, fight with fairness with the desire of obtaining the highest heaven.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.3

मध्ये शिखण्डिनोऽनीकं रक्षितं सव्यसाचिना। धृष्टद्युन्नश्चरन्नग्रे भीमसेनेन पालितः॥

madhye śikhaṇḍino'nīkaṃ rakṣitaṃ savyasācinā| dhṛṣṭadyunnaścarannagre bhīmasenena pālitaḥ||

In the centre stood Shikhandin and his men protected by Arjuna. Dhrishtadyumna was in the front protected by Bhima.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.4

अनीकं दक्षिणं राजन् युयुधानेन पालितम्। श्रीमता सात्वदाचयेण शक्रेणेव धनुष्मता॥

anīkaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ rājan yuyudhānena pālitam| śrīmatā sātvadācayeṇa śakreṇeva dhanuṣmatā||

O king, the southern division of the army was protected by that great bowman, the handsome Yuyudhana, that foremost of the Satvata heroes, who was equal to Indra himself.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.5

महेन्द्रयानप्रतिम रथं तु सोपस्करं हाटकरत्नचित्रम्। युधिष्ठिरः काञ्चनभाण्डयोक्त्रं समास्थितो नागपुरस्य मध्ये॥

mahendrayānapratima rathaṃ tu sopaskaraṃ hāṭakaratnacitram| yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kāñcanabhāṇḍayoktraṃ samāsthito nāgapurasya madhye||

Yudhishthira was on a car which was worthy of carrying Indra himself. It was adorned with an excellent standard decked with gold and gems. It was furnished with golden traces. He stood in the midst of his elephant corps.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.6

समुच्छ्रितं दन्तशलाकमस्य सुपाण्डुरं छत्रमतीव भाति। प्रदक्षिणं चैनमुपाचरन्त महर्षयः संस्तुतिभिर्महेन्द्रम्॥

samucchritaṃ dantaśalākamasya supāṇḍuraṃ chatramatīva bhāti| pradakṣiṇaṃ cainamupācaranta maharṣayaḥ saṃstutibhirmahendram||

His milk-white umbrella, with ivory handle, held over his head, looked exceedingly beautiful. Many great Rishis walked round the king uttering the words of praise.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.7

पुरोहिताः शत्रुवधं वदन्तो ब्रह्मर्षिसिद्धाः श्रुतवन्त एनम्। जप्यैश्च मन्त्रैश्च महौषधीभिः समन्ततः स्वस्त्ययनं ब्रुवन्तः॥

purohitāḥ śatruvadhaṃ vadanto brahmarṣisiddhāḥ śrutavanta enam| japyaiśca mantraiśca mahauṣadhībhiḥ samantataḥ svastyayanaṃ bruvantaḥ||

Many priests, Brahmanas, Rishis, Siddhas, as they walked round him, chanted hymns in his praise. They wished him the destruction of his enemies by the help of Tapas and mantras, efficacious drugs and various propitiatory ceremonies.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.8

ततः स वस्त्राणि तथैव गाश्च फलानि पुष्पाणि तथैव निष्कान्। कुरूत्तमो ब्राह्मणसान्महात्मा कुर्वन् ययौ शक्र इवामरेशः॥

tataḥ sa vastrāṇi tathaiva gāśca phalāni puṣpāṇi tathaiva niṣkān| kurūttamo brāhmaṇasānmahātmā kurvan yayau śakra ivāmareśaḥ||

The illustrious Kuru chief then gave away to the Brahmanas kine, fruits, flowers, golden coins and cloths. He marched like Indra, the chief of the celestial.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.9

सहस्रसूर्यः शतकिङ्किणीकः पराय॑जाम्बूनदहेमचित्रः। रथोऽर्जुनस्याग्निरिवार्चिमाली विभ्राजते श्वेतहयः सुचक्रः॥

sahasrasūryaḥ śatakiṅkiṇīkaḥ parāya̭jāmbūnadahemacitraḥ| ratho'rjunasyāgnirivārcimālī vibhrājate śvetahayaḥ sucakraḥ||

Arjuna's car, furnished with hundreds of bells, decked with gold, fitted with excellent wheels, endued with the effulgence of fire and yoked with best steeds, looked as brilliant as one thousand suns.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.10

तमास्थितः केशवसंगृहीतं कपिध्वजो गाण्डिवबाणपाणिः। धनुर्धरो यस्य समः पृथिव्यां न विद्यते नो भविता कदाचित्॥

tamāsthitaḥ keśavasaṃgṛhītaṃ kapidhvajo gāṇḍivabāṇapāṇiḥ| dhanurdharo yasya samaḥ pṛthivyāṃ na vidyate no bhavitā kadācit||

On this (grand) car, which was driven by Keshava (Krishna) stood the ape-bannered hero with Gandiva (bow) and arrows in his hand, a great bow man whose equal there is none of earth or none will be.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.11

उद्वर्तयिष्यंस्तव पुत्रसेनामतीव रौद्रं स बिभर्ति रूपम्। अनायुधो यः सुभुजो भुजाभ्यां नराश्वनागान् युधि भस्म कुर्यात्॥ सहितो यमाभ्यां वृकोदरो वीररथस्य गोप्ता। तं तत्र सिंहर्षभमत्तखेलं लोके महेन्द्रप्रतिमानकल्पम्॥ समीक्ष्य सेनाग्रगतं दुरासदं संविव्यथुः पङ्कगता यथा द्विपाः। वृकोदरं वारणराजदएँ योधास्त्वदीया भयविग्नसत्त्वाः॥ स भीमसेनः

udvartayiṣyaṃstava putrasenāmatīva raudraṃ sa bibharti rūpam| anāyudho yaḥ subhujo bhujābhyāṃ narāśvanāgān yudhi bhasma kuryāt|| sahito yamābhyāṃ vṛkodaro vīrarathasya goptā| taṃ tatra siṃharṣabhamattakhelaṃ loke mahendrapratimānakalpam|| samīkṣya senāgragataṃ durāsadaṃ saṃvivyathuḥ paṅkagatā yathā dvipāḥ| vṛkodaraṃ vāraṇarājadae~ yodhāstvadīyā bhayavignasattvāḥ|| sa bhīmasenaḥ

He who assumes the most terrible appearance for crushing your sons, he who without any weapon but only with his bare arms pounds to dust men, horses and elephants, that mighty armed Bhimasena that Vrikodara, accompanied by the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) protected the (Pandava) warriors. Seeing the invincible Vrikodara like a fearful lion of sportive gait, like a proud leader of a herd of elephants, like the great Indra himself, your soldiers, with their strength weakened by fear, began to tremble like elephants sunk in mud.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.12

अनीकमध्ये तिष्ठन्तं राजपुत्रं दुरासदम्। अब्रवीद् भरतश्रेष्ठः गुडाकेशं जनार्दनः॥

anīkamadhye tiṣṭhantaṃ rājaputraṃ durāsadam| abravīd bharataśreṣṭhaḥ guḍākeśaṃ janārdanaḥ||

O best of the Bharata race, then Janardana (Krishna) thus spoke to that invincible hero Gudakesha standing in the midst of his troops.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.13

वासुदेव उवाच य एष रोषात् प्रतपन् बलस्थो यो नः सेनां सिह इवेक्षते च। येनाहृतास्त्रिशतं वाजिमेधाः॥

vāsudeva uvāca ya eṣa roṣāt pratapan balastho yo naḥ senāṃ siha ivekṣate ca| yenāhṛtāstriśataṃ vājimedhāḥ||

He who scorches us with his wrath, he who stays in the midst of his force, he who will attack our troops like a lion, he who has performed three hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices, that banner of the Kuru race, that Bhishma, is yonder.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 4 23.14

एतान्यनीकानि महानुभावं गृहन्ति मेघा इव रश्मिमन्तम्। एतानि हत्वा पुरुषप्रवीर काङ्क्षस्व युद्धं भरतर्षभेण॥

etānyanīkāni mahānubhāvaṃ gṛhanti meghā iva raśmimantam| etāni hatvā puruṣapravīra kāṅkṣasva yuddhaṃ bharatarṣabheṇa||

Innumerable troops cover him on all sides as the clouds cover the bright luminary, the sun. O best of men, killing the troops, fight with that foremost chief of Bharata race.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)