अर्जुन उवाच
ततो निवातकवचाः सर्वे वेगेन भारत ॥
अभ्यद्रवन् मां सहिताः प्रगृहीतायुधा रणे ॥
आच्छिद्य रथपन्थानम् उत्क्रोशन्तो महारथाः ॥
आवृत्य सर्वतस् ते मां शरवर्षैर् अवाकिरन् ॥
ततो ऽपरे महावीर्याः शूलपट्टिशपाणयः ॥
शूलानि च भुशुण्डीश् च मुमुचुर् दानवा मयि ॥
तच् छूलवर्षं सुमहद् गदाशक्तिसमाकुलम् ॥
अनिशं सृज्यमानं तैर् अपतन् मद्रथोपरि ॥
अन्ये माम् अभ्यधावन्त निवातकवचा युधि ॥
शितशस्त्रायुधा रौद्राः कालरूपाः प्रहारिणः ॥
तान् अहं विविधैर् बाणैर् वेगवद्भिर् अजिह्मगैः ॥
गाण्डीवमुक्तैर् अभ्यघ्नम् एकैकं दशभिर् मृधे ॥
ते कृता विमुखाः सर्वे मत्प्रयुक्तैः शिलाशितैः ॥
ततो मातलिना तूर्णं हयास् ते संप्रचोदिताः ॥
रथमार्गाद् बहूंस् तत्र विचेरुर् वातरंहसः ॥
सुसंयता मातलिना प्रामथ्नन्त दितेः सुतान् ॥
शतं शतास् ते हरयस् तस्मिन् युक्ता महारथे ॥
तदा मातलिना यत्ता व्यचरन्न् अल्पका इव ॥
तेषां चरणपातेन रथनेमिस्वनेन च ॥
मम बाणनिपातैश् च हतास् ते शतशो ऽसुराः ॥
गतासवस् तथा चान्ये प्रगृहीतशरासनाः ॥
हतसारथयस् तत्र व्यकृष्यन्त तुरंगमैः ॥
arjuna uvāca
tato nivātakavacāḥ sarve vegena bhārata ||
abhyadravan māṃ sahitāḥ pragṛhītāyudhā raṇe ||
ācchidya rathapanthānam utkrośanto mahārathāḥ ||
āvṛtya sarvatas te māṃ śaravarṣair avākiran ||
tato 'pare mahāvīryāḥ śūlapaṭṭiśapāṇayaḥ ||
śūlāni ca bhuśuṇḍīś ca mumucur dānavā mayi ||
tac chūlavarṣaṃ sumahad gadāśaktisamākulam ||
aniśaṃ sṛjyamānaṃ tair apatan madrathopari ||
anye mām abhyadhāvanta nivātakavacā yudhi ||
śitaśastrāyudhā raudrāḥ kālarūpāḥ prahāriṇaḥ ||
tān ahaṃ vividhair bāṇair vegavadbhir ajihmagaiḥ ||
gāṇḍīvamuktair abhyaghnam ekaikaṃ daśabhir mṛdhe ||
te kṛtā vimukhāḥ sarve matprayuktaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ||
tato mātalinā tūrṇaṃ hayās te saṃpracoditāḥ ||
rathamārgād bahūṃs tatra vicerur vātaraṃhasaḥ ||
susaṃyatā mātalinā prāmathnanta diteḥ sutān ||
śataṃ śatās te harayas tasmin yuktā mahārathe ||
tadā mātalinā yattā vyacarann alpakā iva ||
teṣāṃ caraṇapātena rathanemisvanena ca ||
mama bāṇanipātaiś ca hatās te śataśo 'surāḥ ||
gatāsavas tathā cānye pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ ||
hatasārathayas tatra vyakṛṣyanta turaṃgamaiḥ ||
Arjuna said: "Then all the Nivatakavacas, armed, swiftly rushed upon me in battle. The great charioteers blocked the path of my chariot, surrounded me on every side, and showered me with a rain of arrows. Other mighty warriors with spears and pattishas hurled spears and bhushundis at me. A great, unceasing rain of spears, maces, and shaktis fell upon my chariot. Yet others among the Nivatakavacas, terrible, with sharp weapons, like Time itself, hurled themselves at me in the fight. But I, with various swift and straight arrows from the Gandiva, struck down each one ten times over in that battle, and by my stone-sharpened arrows they were all turned back. Then Matali swiftly drove the horses; swift as the wind and well-guided by him, they ranged over many chariot-paths and trampled the sons of Diti. The hundreds of tawny steeds yoked to that great chariot, guided by Matali, moved as though there were but few of them. From the trampling of their hooves, the sound of the wheels, and the fall of my arrows, hundreds of asuras were slain. Others, already lifeless, bows still gripped in hand, their charioteers killed, were dragged along by the horses."
47c0dae4a001 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:13:49 PM UTC
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The battle rests not on Arjuna's arrows alone but on Matali's skill. Even a great hero needs a perfect ally when carrying out the work of the gods.