स्वयं शांतनवो राजन्न् अभ्यधावद् धनंजयम् ॥
प्रगृह्य कार्मुकं घोरं कालदण्डोपमं रणे ॥
अर्जुनो ऽपि धनुर् गृह्य गाण्डीवं लोकविश्रुतम् ॥
अभ्यधावत तेजस्वी गाङ्गेयं रणमूर्धनि ॥
ताव् उभौ कुरुशार्दूलौ परस्परवधैषिणौ ॥
गाङ्गेयस् तु रणे पार्थं विद्ध्वा नाकम्पयद् बली ॥
तथैव पाण्डवो राजन् भीष्मं नाकम्पयद् युधि ॥
सात्यकिश् च महेष्वासः कृतवर्माणम् अभ्ययात् ॥
तयोः समभवद् युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् ॥
सात्यकिः कृतवर्माणं कृतवर्मा च सात्यकिम् ॥
आनर्छतुः शरैर् घोरैस् तक्षमाणौ परस्परम् ॥
तौ शराचितसर्वाङ्गौ शुशुभाते महाबलौ ॥
वसन्ते पुष्पशबलौ पुष्पिताव् इव किंशुकौ ॥
अभिमन्युर् महेष्वासो बृहद्बलम् अयोधयत् ॥
ततः कोसलको राजा सौभद्रस्य विशां पते ॥
ध्वजं चिच्छेद समरे सारथिं च न्यपातयत् ॥
सौभद्रस् तु ततः क्रुद्धः पातिते रथसारथौ ॥
बृहद्बलं महाराज विव्याध नवभिः शरैः ॥
अथापराभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां पीताभ्याम् अरिमर्दनः ॥
ध्वजम् एकेन चिच्छेद पार्ष्णिम् एकेन सारथिम् ॥
अन्योन्यं च शरैस् तीक्ष्णैः क्रुद्धौ राजंस् ततक्षतुः ॥
svayaṃ śāṃtanavo rājann abhyadhāvad dhanaṃjayam ||
pragṛhya kārmukaṃ ghoraṃ kāladaṇḍopamaṃ raṇe ||
arjuno 'pi dhanur gṛhya gāṇḍīvaṃ lokaviśrutam ||
abhyadhāvata tejasvī gāṅgeyaṃ raṇamūrdhani ||
tāv ubhau kuruśārdūlau parasparavadhaiṣiṇau ||
gāṅgeyas tu raṇe pārthaṃ viddhvā nākampayad balī ||
tathaiva pāṇḍavo rājan bhīṣmaṃ nākampayad yudhi ||
sātyakiś ca maheṣvāsaḥ kṛtavarmāṇam abhyayāt ||
tayoḥ samabhavad yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam ||
sātyakiḥ kṛtavarmāṇaṃ kṛtavarmā ca sātyakim ||
ānarchatuḥ śarair ghorais takṣamāṇau parasparam ||
tau śarācitasarvāṅgau śuśubhāte mahābalau ||
vasante puṣpaśabalau puṣpitāv iva kiṃśukau ||
abhimanyur maheṣvāso bṛhadbalam ayodhayat ||
tataḥ kosalako rājā saubhadrasya viśāṃ pate ||
dhvajaṃ ciccheda samare sārathiṃ ca nyapātayat ||
saubhadras tu tataḥ kruddhaḥ pātite rathasārathau ||
bṛhadbalaṃ mahārāja vivyādha navabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
athāparābhyāṃ bhallābhyāṃ pītābhyām arimardanaḥ ||
dhvajam ekena ciccheda pārṣṇim ekena sārathim ||
anyonyaṃ ca śarais tīkṣṇaiḥ kruddhau rājaṃs tatakṣatuḥ ||
The son of Shantanu himself, O king, seizing in battle his terrible bow, like the rod of time, rushed at Dhananjaya. And the radiant Arjuna, taking up Gandiva, famed throughout the world, went to meet the son of Ganga in the thick of battle. These two tigers of the Kuru race sought each other's death: the mighty Bhishma pierced Partha, yet did not shake him; likewise the Pandava, O king, did not shake Bhishma in the fight. The great archer Satyaki advanced upon Kritavarman, and between them arose a terrible, thunderous battle. Satyaki and Kritavarman showered each other with fearsome arrows, hacking at one another; their bodies covered with arrows from head to foot, they shone like two blossoming kimshuka trees, dappled with flowers in spring. The great archer Abhimanyu fought with Brihadbala. The king of Kosala cut down the banner of the son of Subhadra in battle and struck down his charioteer. Enraged, when his charioteer had fallen, Abhimanyu pierced Brihadbala with nine arrows, and then with two more yellow bhalla shafts: with one he cut down the banner, with the other he struck the charioteer. Enraged, O king, they hacked at each other with sharp arrows."
3381b89602b3 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:12:34 PM UTC
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The first duels at once join personal history to martial power: Bhishma and Arjuna, Satyaki and Kritavarman, Abhimanyu and Brihadbala enter combat as bearers of different threads of duty and attachment.