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Mahābhārata • Parva 9 (Śalyaparva) • Adhyāya 17

Śalyaparva Adhyāya 17

शल्यपर्व • अध्यायः 17

Śalyaparva Adhyāya 17 of the classical Mahābhārata with 40 verses.

Total: 40 Verses • Citations: MBh 9.17.1–40 • 250 Lexicon Terms
शल्ये तु निहते राजन्मद्रराजपदानुगाः । रथाः सप्तशता वीरा निर्ययुर्महतो बलात् ॥
English Translation
Sanjaya said After the destruction of Shalya, O king, the followers of the Madra king, numbering seventeen hundred brave car-warriors, proceeded for battle with great force.
दुर्योधनस्तु द्विरदमारुह्याचलसंनिभम् । छत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन वीज्यमानश्च चामरैः । न गन्तव्यं न गन्तव्यमिति मद्रानवारयत् ॥
English Translation
Duryodhana, riding upon a huge mountainlike elephant with an umbrella held over his head and fanned with white chowries, forbade the Madraka warriors, saying "Do not proceed, Do not proceed!”
दुर्योधनेन ते वीरा वार्यमाणाः पुनः पुनः । युधिष्ठिरं जिघांसन्तः पाण्डूनां प्राविशन्बलम् ॥
English Translation
Though repeatedly forbidden by Duryodhana, those heroes, desirous of killing Yudhishthira, entered into the Pandava army.
ते तु शूरा महाराज कृतचित्ताः स्म योधने । धनुःशब्दं महत्कृत्वा सहायुध्यन्त पाण्डवैः ॥
English Translation
Those brave warriors, O king, loyal to Duryodhana, twanging their bows loudly fought with the Pandavas.
श्रुत्वा तु निहतं शल्यं धर्मपुत्रं च पीडितम् । मद्रराजप्रिये युक्तैर्मद्रकाणां महारथैः ॥
English Translation
In the meantime hearing that Shalya had been killed and that Yudhishthira had been assailed by the mighty car-warriors of the Madrakas devoted to the well-being of the Madraka king, the great car-warrior Partha came there, stretching his bow Gandiva and filling the Earth with the rattle of his car.
आजगाम ततः पार्थो गाण्डीवं विक्षिपन्धनुः । पूरयन्रथघोषेण दिशः सर्वा महारथः ॥
ततोऽर्जुनश्च भीमश्च माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ । सात्यकिश्च नरव्याघ्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः ॥
English Translation
Then Arjuna, Bhima and the two sons of Madri by Pandu and that foremost of men, Satyaki and the (five) sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and the Panchalas and the Somakas, desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, encircled him on all sides.
धृष्टद्युम्नः शिखण्डी च पाञ्चालाः सह सोमकैः । युधिष्ठिरं परीप्सन्तः समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥
English Translation
Then Arjuna, Bhima and the two sons of Madri by Pandu and that foremost of men, Satyaki and the (five) sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and the Panchalas and the Somakas, desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, encircled him on all sides.
ते समन्तात्परिवृताः पाण्डवैः पुरुषर्षभाः । क्षोभयन्ति स्म तां सेनां मकराः सागरं यथा ॥
English Translation
Having taken their positions round the king, the Pandavas, those foremost of men, began te) agitate the enemy's army like Makaras agitating the ocean. Indecd, they made your army tremble like a mighty tempest shaking the trees.
पुरोवातेन गङ्गेव क्षोभ्यमाना महानदी । अक्षोभ्यत तदा राजन्पाण्डूनां ध्वजिनी पुनः ॥
English Translation
Like the great river Ganges agitated by a hostile wind, the Pandava army, O king, once more were exceedingly agitated,
प्रस्कन्द्य सेनां महतीं त्यक्तात्मानो महारथाः । वृक्षानिव महावाताः कम्पयन्ति स्म तावकाः ॥
बहवश्चुक्रुशुस्तत्र क्व स राजा युधिष्ठिरः । भ्रातरो वास्य ते शूरा दृश्यन्ते नेह केचन ॥
पाञ्चालानां महावीर्याः शिखण्डी च महारथः । धृष्टद्युम्नोऽथ शैनेयो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः ॥
एवं तान्वादिनः शूरान्द्रौपदेया महारथाः । अभ्यघ्नन्युयुधानश्च मद्रराजपदानुगान् ॥
English Translation
Thereat those great car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, began to kill the followers of the Madra king who were uttering those words i and fighting vigorously. In that battle, some, amongst your troops, where crushed by carwheels and some slain by huge standards.
चक्रैर्विमथितैः केचित्केचिच्छिन्नैर्महाध्वजैः । प्रत्यदृश्यन्त समरे तावका निहताः परैः ॥
English Translation
Thereat those great car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, began to kill the followers of the Madra king who were uttering those words i and fighting vigorously. In that battle, some, amongst your troops, where crushed by carwheels and some slain by huge standards.
आलोक्य पाण्डवान्युद्धे योधा राजन्समन्ततः । वार्यमाणा ययुर्वेगात्तव पुत्रेण भारत ॥
English Translation
Beholding, however, the heroic Pandavas, the brave warriors of your army, O Bharata, though forbidden by your son, still proceeded against them.
दुर्योधनस्तु तान्वीरान्वारयामास सान्त्वयन् । न चास्य शासनं कश्चित्तत्र चक्रे महारथः ॥
English Translation
Speaking mildly Duryodhana tried to prevent those warriors from fighting with the foe. No great car-warrior, however, amongst them carried out his order.
ततो गान्धारराजस्य पुत्रः शकुनिरब्रवीत् । दुर्योधनं महाराज वचनं वचनक्षमः ॥
English Translation
Then Sakuni, the eloquent son of the Gandhara king, O king, said to Duryodhana these words:-How is this that we are standing here, while the Madraka army is being killed before our eyes? O Bharata,when you are here, it does not look well!
किं नः संप्रेक्षमाणानां मद्राणां हन्यते बलम् । न युक्तमेतत्समरे त्वयि तिष्ठति भारत ॥
English Translation
Then Sakuni, the eloquent son of the Gandhara king, O king, said to Duryodhana these words:-How is this that we are standing here, while the Madraka army is being killed before our eyes? O Bharata,when you are here, it does not look well!
सहितैर्नाम योद्धव्यमित्येष समयः कृतः । अथ कस्मात्परानेव घ्नतो मर्षयसे नृप ॥
English Translation
The contract was that all of us should fight in a body. Why then, O king, do you suffer our foes to kill thus our soldiers?
वार्यमाणा मया पूर्वं नैते चक्रुर्वचो मम । एते हि निहताः सर्वे प्रस्कन्नाः पाण्डुवाहिनीम् ॥
English Translation
Duryodhana said Though prevented by me before, they did not carry our my order. These men, in a body, have entered into the Pandava army.
न भर्तुः शासनं वीरा रणे कुर्वन्त्यमर्षिताः । अलं क्रोद्धुं तथैतेषां नायं काल उपेक्षितुम् ॥
English Translation
Sakuni said When worked up with rage in battle, brave warriors do not obcy the bchests of their leaders. You should not be angry with those men. This is not the time to act indifferently.
यामः सर्वेऽत्र संभूय सवाजिरथकुञ्जराः । परित्रातुं महेष्वासान्मद्रराजपदानुगान् ॥
English Translation
We shall, therefore, all of us, in a body with our cars and horses and elephants, proceed, for rescuing those great bowmen, viz., the followers of the Madra king.
अन्योन्यं परिरक्षामो यत्नेन महता नृप । एवं सर्वेऽनुसंचिन्त्य प्रययुर्यत्र सैनिकाः ॥
English Translation
O king, we shall protect one another very carefully. Accepting Shakuani's view all the Kauravas then proceeded where the Madras were.
एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा बलेन महता वृतः । प्रययौ सिंहनादेन कम्पयन्वै वसुंधराम् ॥
English Translation
Also encircled by a large force Duryodhana proceeded against the foe, uttering leonine shouts and causing the Earth to resound with that noise.
हत विध्यत गृह्णीत प्रहरध्वं निकृन्तत । इत्यासीत्तुमुलः शब्दस्तव सैन्यस्य भारत ॥
English Translation
Slay, cut, seize, strike, cut off-these were the words that were heard then, O king, among those troops.
पाण्डवास्तु रणे दृष्ट्वा मद्रराजपदानुगान् । सहितानभ्यवर्तन्त गुल्ममास्थाय मध्यमम् ॥
English Translation
Meanwhile beholding in that battle the followers of the Madra king assailing them unitedly the Pandavas proceeded against thein, arraying themselves in the Madhyama from.
ते मुहूर्ताद्रणे वीरा हस्ताहस्तं विशां पते । निहताः प्रत्यदृश्यन्त मद्रराजपदानुगाः ॥
English Translation
Fighting hand to hand, O king, for a short time, those heroic warriors, viz., the followers of the Madra king, were killed.
ततो नः संप्रयातानां हतामित्रास्तरस्विनः । हृष्टाः किलकिलाशब्दमकुर्वन्सहिताः परे ॥
English Translation
Then, whilst we were proceeding, the active Pandavas, in a body, completed the slaughter of the Madrakas and filled with delight, sent up joyous shouts.
अथोत्थितानि रुण्डानि समदृश्यन्त सर्वशः । पपात महती चोल्का मध्येनादित्यमण्डलम् ॥
रथैर्भग्नैर्युगाक्षैश्च निहतैश्च महारथैः । अश्वैर्निपतितैश्चैव संछन्नाभूद्वसुंधरा ॥
English Translation
Then headless forms were seen all around. Large meteors fell down from the solar disc. The earth was covered with cars and broken on yokes and axles and slain car-warriors and lifeless horses.
वातायमानैस्तुरगैर्युगासक्तैस्तुरंगमैः । अदृश्यन्त महाराज योधास्तत्र रणाजिरे ॥
English Translation
Horses, quick-coursing like the wind and still attached to yokes of cars, were seen to drag car-warriors, O king, hither and thither on the field of battie.
भग्नचक्रान्रथान्केचिदवहंस्तुरगा रणे । रथार्धं केचिदादाय दिशो दश विबभ्रमुः । तत्र तत्र च दृश्यन्ते योक्त्रैः श्लिष्टाः स्म वाजिनः ॥
English Translation
Some horses were seen to drag cars with broken wheels, while some ran on all sides, carrying the broken cars.
रथिनः पतमानाश्च व्यदृश्यन्त नरोत्तम । गगनात्प्रच्युताः सिद्धाः पुण्यानामिव संक्षये ॥
English Translation
Here and there also were seen horses hampered by their traces. Car-warriors dropped down like denizens of heaven the exhaustion of their virtue.
निहतेषु च शूरेषु मद्रराजानुगेषु च । अस्मानापततश्चापि दृष्ट्वा पार्था महारथाः ॥
English Translation
When the brave followers of the Madra king were killed the great car-warriors of the Parthas, beholding a body of horse advancing towards them, rushed quickly towards it with a view to win victory.
अभ्यवर्तन्त वेगेन जयगृध्राः प्रहारिणः । बाणशब्दरवान्कृत्वा विमिश्राञ्शङ्खनिस्वनैः ॥
अस्मांस्तु पुनरासाद्य लब्धलक्षाः प्रहारिणः । शरासनानि धुन्वानाः सिंहनादान्प्रचुक्रुशुः ॥
English Translation
Shooting their arrows and making various other kinds of noise mingled with the blare of their conchs, those warriors of sure aim, shook bows and uttered leonine shouts.
ततो हतमभिप्रेक्ष्य मद्रराजबलं महत् । मद्रराजं च समरे दृष्ट्वा शूरं निपातितम् । दुर्योधनबलं सर्वं पुनरासीत्पराङ्मुखम् ॥
English Translation
Seeing then that large force of the Madra king killed as also their heroic king the entire army of Duryodhana once more fled away from the field.
वध्यमानं महाराज पाण्डवैर्जितकाशिभिः । दिशो भेजेऽथ संभ्रान्तं त्रासितं दृढधन्विभिः ॥
English Translation
Struck, O king, by those firm bowmen of the Pandavas, the Kuru army, filled with fear, fled away on all sides.
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