ततः समस्तास् ते सर्वे तुरगान् अभ्यचोदयन् ॥
दिव्यम् अस्त्रं विकुर्वाणास् त्रिगर्तान् प्रत्यमर्षणाः ॥
तान् निवृत्तरथान् दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवान् सा महाचमूः ॥
वैराटी परमक्रुद्धा युयुधे परमाद्भुतम् ॥
सहस्रं न्यवधीत् तत्र कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
भीमः सप्तशतान् योधान् परलोकम् अदर्शयत् ॥
नकुलश् चापि सप्तैव शतानि प्राहिणोच् छरैः ॥
शतानि त्रीणि शूराणां सहदेवः प्रतापवान् ॥
युधिष्ठिरसमादिष्टो निजघ्ने पुरुषर्षभः ॥
भित्त्वा तां महतीं सेनां त्रिगर्तानां नरर्षभ ॥
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा त्वरमाणो महारथः ॥
अभिद्रुत्य सुशर्माणं शरैर् अभ्यतुदद् भृशम् ॥
सुशर्मापि सुसंक्रुद्धस् त्वरमाणो युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
अविध्यन् नवभिर् बाणैश् चतुर्भिश् चतुरो हयान् ॥
ततो राजन्न् आशुकारी कुन्तीपुत्रो वृकोदरः ॥
समासाद्य सुशर्माणम् अश्वान् अस्य व्यपोथयत् ॥
पृष्ठगोपौ च तस्याथ हत्वा परमसायकैः ॥
अथास्य सारथिं क्रुद्धो रथोपस्थाद् अपाहरत् ॥
चक्ररक्षश् च शूरश् च शोणाश्वो नाम विश्रुतः ॥
स भयाद् द्वैरथं दृष्ट्वा त्रैगर्तं प्राजहत् तदा ॥
ततो विराटः प्रस्कन्द्य रथाद् अथ सुशर्मणः ॥
गदाम् अस्य परामृश्य तम् एवाजघ्निवान् बली ॥
स चचार गदापाणिर् वृद्धो ऽपि तरुणो यथा ॥
भीमस् तु भीमसंकाशो रथात् प्रस्कन्द्य कुण्डली ॥
त्रिगर्तराजम् आदत्त सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा ॥
तस्मिन् गृहीते विरथे त्रिगर्तानां महारथे ॥
अभज्यत बलं सर्वं त्रैगर्तं तद्भयातुरम् ॥
निवर्त्य गास् ततः सर्वाः पाण्डुपुत्रा महाबलाः ॥
अवजित्य सुशर्माणं धनं चादाय सर्वशः ॥
स्वबाहुबलसंपन्ना ह्रीनिषेधा यतव्रताः ॥
संग्रामशिरसो मध्ये तां रात्रिं सुखिनो ऽवसन् ॥
tataḥ samastās te sarve turagān abhyacodayan ||
divyam astraṃ vikurvāṇās trigartān pratyamarṣaṇāḥ ||
tān nivṛttarathān dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavān sā mahācamūḥ ||
vairāṭī paramakruddhā yuyudhe paramādbhutam ||
sahasraṃ nyavadhīt tatra kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
bhīmaḥ saptaśatān yodhān paralokam adarśayat ||
nakulaś cāpi saptaiva śatāni prāhiṇoc charaiḥ ||
śatāni trīṇi śūrāṇāṃ sahadevaḥ pratāpavān ||
yudhiṣṭhirasamādiṣṭo nijaghne puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
bhittvā tāṃ mahatīṃ senāṃ trigartānāṃ nararṣabha ||
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tvaramāṇo mahārathaḥ ||
abhidrutya suśarmāṇaṃ śarair abhyatudad bhṛśam ||
suśarmāpi susaṃkruddhas tvaramāṇo yudhiṣṭhiram ||
avidhyan navabhir bāṇaiś caturbhiś caturo hayān ||
tato rājann āśukārī kuntīputro vṛkodaraḥ ||
samāsādya suśarmāṇam aśvān asya vyapothayat ||
pṛṣṭhagopau ca tasyātha hatvā paramasāyakaiḥ ||
athāsya sārathiṃ kruddho rathopasthād apāharat ||
cakrarakṣaś ca śūraś ca śoṇāśvo nāma viśrutaḥ ||
sa bhayād dvairathaṃ dṛṣṭvā traigartaṃ prājahat tadā ||
tato virāṭaḥ praskandya rathād atha suśarmaṇaḥ ||
gadām asya parāmṛśya tam evājaghnivān balī ||
sa cacāra gadāpāṇir vṛddho 'pi taruṇo yathā ||
bhīmas tu bhīmasaṃkāśo rathāt praskandya kuṇḍalī ||
trigartarājam ādatta siṃhaḥ kṣudramṛgaṃ yathā ||
tasmin gṛhīte virathe trigartānāṃ mahārathe ||
abhajyata balaṃ sarvaṃ traigartaṃ tadbhayāturam ||
nivartya gās tataḥ sarvāḥ pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ ||
avajitya suśarmāṇaṃ dhanaṃ cādāya sarvaśaḥ ||
svabāhubalasaṃpannā hrīniṣedhā yatavratāḥ ||
saṃgrāmaśiraso madhye tāṃ rātriṃ sukhino 'vasan ||
Then all of them together urged on their horses, wielding celestial weapons, unable to bear the Trigartas any longer. Seeing that the Pandavas' chariots had turned back, the great army of Virata, utterly enraged, fought a marvelous battle. Kunti's son Yudhishthira slew a thousand there; Bhima sent seven hundred warriors to the other world; Nakula too dispatched seven hundred with his arrows; mighty Sahadeva, foremost of men, slew three hundred heroes at Yudhishthira's command. Having broken through that great army of the Trigartas, O bull among men, King Yudhishthira, the great chariot-warrior, swiftly attacked Susharman and struck him hard with arrows. Susharman, likewise greatly enraged, swiftly wounded Yudhishthira with nine arrows, and his four horses with four more. Then, O king, Kunti's son Vrikodara, swift in action, overtook Susharman and struck down his horses. Having slain his rear-guards with excellent arrows, the enraged Bhima then dragged his charioteer down from the chariot platform. And the guardian of the wheel, a hero renowned by the name Shonashva, seeing this duel, abandoned the Trigarta out of fear. Then the mighty Virata leapt from Susharman's chariot, seized his mace, and struck him with it; mace in hand he moved about like a youth, though he was old. Bhima, terrible to behold, leapt from his chariot, wearing earrings, and seized the king of the Trigartas as a lion seizes a small animal. When this great chariot-warrior of the Trigartas had been captured and stripped of his chariot, the whole army of the Trigartas, overcome with fear, was routed. Then the mighty sons of Pandu brought back all the cows, having conquered Susharman, and took all his wealth; endowed with the strength of their own arms, restrained by modesty and true to their vow, they spent that night happily in the midst of the battlefield.'
5fef7ca70f0c · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:23:49 PM UTC
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The rescue of Virata becomes gratitude in action. The Pandavas do not reveal themselves, yet they already act as protectors of dharma: they return the cows, save the king, and seek no extra glory.