ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तुमुलं लोमहर्षणम् ॥
राक्षसानां च राजेन्द्र दुर्योधनबलस्य च ॥
गजानीकं च संप्रेक्ष्य मेघवृन्दम् इवोद्यतम् ॥
अभ्यधावन्त संक्रुद्धा राक्षसाः शस्त्रपाणयः ॥
नदन्तो विविधान् नादान् मेघा इव सविद्युतः ॥
शरशक्त्यृष्टिनाराचैर् निघ्नन्तो गजयोधिनः ॥
भिण्डिपालैस् तथा शूलैर् मुद्गरैः सपरश्वधैः ॥
पर्वताग्रैश् च वृक्षैश् च निजघ्नुस् ते महागजान् ॥
भिन्नकुम्भान् विरुधिरान् भिन्नगात्रांश् च वारणान् ॥
अपश्याम महाराज वध्यमानान् निशाचरैः ॥
तेषु प्रक्षीयमाणेषु भग्नेषु गजयोधिषु ॥
दुर्योधनो महाराज राक्षसान् समुपाद्रवत् ॥
अमर्षवशम् आपन्नस् त्यक्त्वा जीवितम् आत्मनः ॥
मुमोच निशितान् बाणान् राक्षसेषु महाबलः ॥
जघान च महेष्वासः प्रधानांस् तत्र राक्षसान् ॥
संक्रुद्धो भरतश्रेष्ठ पुत्रो दुर्योधनस् तव ॥
वेगवन्तं महारौद्रं विद्युज्जिह्वं प्रमाथिनम् ॥
शरैश् चतुर्भिश् चतुरो निजघान महारथः ॥
ततः पुनर् अमेयात्मा शरवर्षं दुरासदम् ॥
मुमोच भरतश्रेष्ठ निशाचरबलं प्रति ॥
तत् तु दृष्ट्वा महत् कर्म पुत्रस्य तव मारिष ॥
क्रोधेनाभिप्रजज्वाल भैमसेनिर् महाबलः ॥
विस्फार्य च महच् चापम् इन्द्राशनिसमस्वनम् ॥
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन दुर्योधनम् अरिंदमम् ॥
तम् आपतन्तम् उद्वीक्ष्य कालसृष्टम् इवान्तकम् ॥
न विव्यथे महाराज पुत्रो दुर्योधनस् तव ॥
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam ||
rākṣasānāṃ ca rājendra duryodhanabalasya ca ||
gajānīkaṃ ca saṃprekṣya meghavṛndam ivodyatam ||
abhyadhāvanta saṃkruddhā rākṣasāḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ ||
nadanto vividhān nādān meghā iva savidyutaḥ ||
śaraśaktyṛṣṭinārācair nighnanto gajayodhinaḥ ||
bhiṇḍipālais tathā śūlair mudgaraiḥ saparaśvadhaiḥ ||
parvatāgraiś ca vṛkṣaiś ca nijaghnus te mahāgajān ||
bhinnakumbhān virudhirān bhinnagātrāṃś ca vāraṇān ||
apaśyāma mahārāja vadhyamānān niśācaraiḥ ||
teṣu prakṣīyamāṇeṣu bhagneṣu gajayodhiṣu ||
duryodhano mahārāja rākṣasān samupādravat ||
amarṣavaśam āpannas tyaktvā jīvitam ātmanaḥ ||
mumoca niśitān bāṇān rākṣaseṣu mahābalaḥ ||
jaghāna ca maheṣvāsaḥ pradhānāṃs tatra rākṣasān ||
saṃkruddho bharataśreṣṭha putro duryodhanas tava ||
vegavantaṃ mahāraudraṃ vidyujjihvaṃ pramāthinam ||
śaraiś caturbhiś caturo nijaghāna mahārathaḥ ||
tataḥ punar ameyātmā śaravarṣaṃ durāsadam ||
mumoca bharataśreṣṭha niśācarabalaṃ prati ||
tat tu dṛṣṭvā mahat karma putrasya tava māriṣa ||
krodhenābhiprajajvāla bhaimasenir mahābalaḥ ||
visphārya ca mahac cāpam indrāśanisamasvanam ||
abhidudrāva vegena duryodhanam ariṃdamam ||
tam āpatantam udvīkṣya kālasṛṣṭam ivāntakam ||
na vivyathe mahārāja putro duryodhanas tava ||
Then a tumultuous, hair-raising battle broke out between the rakshasas and Duryodhana's army, O lord of kings. Seeing the elephant division risen up like a bank of clouds, the enraged rakshasas, weapons in hand, rushed forward. Roaring with various cries, like clouds with lightning, they struck down the elephant-riders with arrows, shaktis, rishtis, and narachas. With bhindipalas, shulas, clubs, axes, mountain peaks, and trees they slew the great elephants. We saw, great king, how the rakshasas struck down elephants with shattered temples, bloodied, their bodies broken. When the elephant division was worn down and the elephant-riders routed, Duryodhana, great king, rushed upon the rakshasas. Overcome by indignation and heedless of his own life, the mighty warrior released sharp arrows at the rakshasas. Your son Duryodhana, the great archer, in fury slew the foremost rakshasas there, O best of the Bharatas: he killed Vegavant, the terrible Vidyujjihva, Pramathin, and another hero with four arrows. Then Duryodhana, of measureless spirit, released an irresistible rain of arrows against the army of the night-wanderers. Seeing this great feat of your son, O venerable one, the mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath. Drawing his huge bow, which roared like Indra's thunderbolt, he rushed with speed at Duryodhana, tamer of foes. Seeing him advancing like Death sent forth by Kala, your son Duryodhana, great king, did not waver.
7791398e6969 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:46:25 PM UTC
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Duryodhana is not lacking in personal courage here: he truly stands against the terror of the rakshasas and holds his ground. But courage without a righteous cause does not erase past guilt, so this feat only brings him closer to meeting Ghatotkacha's wrath.