तथा तस्मिन् वर्तमाने दुष्कर्णो भ्रातुर् अन्तिके ॥
चिच्छेद समरे चापं नाकुलेः क्रोधमूर्छितः ॥
अथान्यद् धनुर् आदाय भारसाधनम् उत्तमम् ॥
समादत्त शितान् बाणाञ् शतानीको महाबलः ॥
तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चामन्त्र्य दुष्कर्णं भ्रातुर् अग्रतः ॥
मुमोच निशितान् बाणाञ् ज्वलितान् पन्नगान् इव ॥
ततो ऽस्य धनुर् एकेन द्वाभ्यां सूतं च मारिष ॥
चिच्छेद समरे तूर्णं तं च विव्याध सप्तभिः ॥
अश्वान् मनोजवांश् चास्य कल्माषान् वीतकल्मषः ॥
जघान निशितैस् तूर्णं सर्वान् द्वादशभिः शरैः ॥
अथापरेण भल्लेन सुमुक्तेन निपातिना ॥
दुष्कर्णं समरे क्रुद्धो विव्याध हृदये भृशम् ॥
दुष्कर्णं निहतं दृष्ट्वा पञ्च राजन् महारथाः ॥
जिघांसन्तः शतानीकं सर्वतः पर्यवारयन् ॥
छाद्यमानं शरव्रातैः शतानीकं यशस्विनम् ॥
अभ्यधावन्त संरब्धाः केकयाः पञ्च सोदराः ॥
तान् अभ्यापततः प्रेक्ष्य तव पुत्रा महारथाः ॥
प्रत्युद्ययुर् महाराज गजा इव महागजान् ॥
दुर्मुखो दुर्जयश् चैव तथा दुर्मर्षणो युवा ॥
शत्रुंजयः शत्रुसहः सर्वे क्रुद्धा यशस्विनः ॥
प्रत्युद्याता महाराज केकयान् भ्रातरः समम् ॥
रथैर् नगरसंकाशैर् हयैर् युक्तैर् मनोजवैः ॥
नानावर्णविचित्राभिः पताकाभिर् अलंकृतैः ॥
वरचापधरा वीरा विचित्रकवचध्वजाः ॥
विविशुस् ते परं सैन्यं सिंहा इव वनाद् वनम् ॥
तेषां सुतुमुलं युद्धं व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम् ॥
अवर्तत महारौद्रं निघ्नताम् इतरेतरम् ॥
अन्योन्यागस्कृतां राजन् यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनम् ॥
tathā tasmin vartamāne duṣkarṇo bhrātur antike ||
ciccheda samare cāpaṃ nākuleḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ ||
athānyad dhanur ādāya bhārasādhanam uttamam ||
samādatta śitān bāṇāñ śatānīko mahābalaḥ ||
tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cāmantrya duṣkarṇaṃ bhrātur agrataḥ ||
mumoca niśitān bāṇāñ jvalitān pannagān iva ||
tato 'sya dhanur ekena dvābhyāṃ sūtaṃ ca māriṣa ||
ciccheda samare tūrṇaṃ taṃ ca vivyādha saptabhiḥ ||
aśvān manojavāṃś cāsya kalmāṣān vītakalmaṣaḥ ||
jaghāna niśitais tūrṇaṃ sarvān dvādaśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
athāpareṇa bhallena sumuktena nipātinā ||
duṣkarṇaṃ samare kruddho vivyādha hṛdaye bhṛśam ||
duṣkarṇaṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā pañca rājan mahārathāḥ ||
jighāṃsantaḥ śatānīkaṃ sarvataḥ paryavārayan ||
chādyamānaṃ śaravrātaiḥ śatānīkaṃ yaśasvinam ||
abhyadhāvanta saṃrabdhāḥ kekayāḥ pañca sodarāḥ ||
tān abhyāpatataḥ prekṣya tava putrā mahārathāḥ ||
pratyudyayur mahārāja gajā iva mahāgajān ||
durmukho durjayaś caiva tathā durmarṣaṇo yuvā ||
śatruṃjayaḥ śatrusahaḥ sarve kruddhā yaśasvinaḥ ||
pratyudyātā mahārāja kekayān bhrātaraḥ samam ||
rathair nagarasaṃkāśair hayair yuktair manojavaiḥ ||
nānāvarṇavicitrābhiḥ patākābhir alaṃkṛtaiḥ ||
varacāpadharā vīrā vicitrakavacadhvajāḥ ||
viviśus te paraṃ sainyaṃ siṃhā iva vanād vanam ||
teṣāṃ sutumulaṃ yuddhaṃ vyatiṣaktarathadvipam ||
avartata mahāraudraṃ nighnatām itaretaram ||
anyonyāgaskṛtāṃ rājan yamarāṣṭravivardhanam ||
While this was happening, Dushkarna, standing near his brother, overwhelmed with rage, cut down the bow of Nakula's son in that battle. Then mighty Shatanika took up another excellent bow, able to bear great strain, gathered sharp arrows, and, calling out before his brother, 'Stand! Stand!' to Dushkarna, loosed sharp arrows at him like blazing serpents. Then with one arrow he swiftly cut down his bow in that battle, with two his charioteer, O venerable one, and pierced Dushkarna himself with seven. Sinless Shatanika swiftly killed all his piebald horses, swift as thought, with twelve sharp arrows. Then with another well-loosed, striking arrow, enraged Shatanika pierced Dushkarna deeply in the heart. Seeing Dushkarna slain, five great chariot-warriors, O king, desiring to kill Shatanika, surrounded him from every side. As renowned Shatanika was being covered by masses of arrows, five Kekaya brothers rushed furiously toward him. Seeing their assault, your sons, the great chariot-warriors, advanced to meet them, great king, like elephants charging great tuskers. Durmukha, Durjaya, young Durmarshana, Shatrunjaya, and Shatrusaha — all renowned and enraged — advanced together against the Kekaya brothers, great king. On chariots resembling cities, yoked with horses swift as thought and adorned with many-colored banners, these heroes, bearing splendid bows, with wondrous armor and standards, entered the enemy host, like lions passing from forest to forest. Between them raged an exceedingly tumultuous and most terrible battle, chariots and elephants intermingled, as they struck one another down, and, dealing mutual harm, swelled the realm of Yama.
8cb81ad5d5d3 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:38:21 PM UTC
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The duels splinter into rapid, mutual blows, yet the same inner logic holds: brother defends brother, a company rushes to rescue its own. Even where warriors reach for glory, the verse keeps reminding us that every successful blow only enlarges Yama's domain.