ततः शतसहस्रेण हयानां सुबलात्मजः ॥
विमलप्रासहस्तानाम् ऋष्टितोमरधारिणाम् ॥
दर्पितानां सुवेगानां बलस्थानां पताकिनाम् ॥
शिक्षितैर् युद्धकुशलैर् उपेतानां नरोत्तमैः ॥
नकुलं सहदेवं च धर्मराजं च पाण्डवम् ॥
न्यवारयन् नरश्रेष्ठं परिवार्य समन्ततः ॥
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा शूराणां हयसादिनाम् ॥
अयुतं प्रेषयाम् आस पाण्डवानां निवारणे ॥
तैः प्रविष्टैर् महावेगैर् गरुत्मद्भिर् इवाहवे ॥
खुराहता धरा राजंश् चकम्पे च ननाद च ॥
खुरशब्दश् च सुमहान् वाजिनां शुश्रुवे तदा ॥
महावंशवनस्येव दह्यमानस्य पर्वते ॥
उत्पतद्भिश् च तैस् तत्र समुद्धूतं महद् रजः ॥
दिवाकरपथं प्राप्य छादयाम् आस भास्करम् ॥
वेगवद्भिर् हयैस् तैस् तु क्षोभितं पाण्डवं बलम् ॥
निपतद्भिर् महावेगैर् हंसैर् इव महत् सरः ॥
हेषतां चैव शब्देन न प्राज्ञायत किं चन ॥
tataḥ śatasahasreṇa hayānāṃ subalātmajaḥ ||
vimalaprāsahastānām ṛṣṭitomaradhāriṇām ||
darpitānāṃ suvegānāṃ balasthānāṃ patākinām ||
śikṣitair yuddhakuśalair upetānāṃ narottamaiḥ ||
nakulaṃ sahadevaṃ ca dharmarājaṃ ca pāṇḍavam ||
nyavārayan naraśreṣṭhaṃ parivārya samantataḥ ||
tato duryodhano rājā śūrāṇāṃ hayasādinām ||
ayutaṃ preṣayām āsa pāṇḍavānāṃ nivāraṇe ||
taiḥ praviṣṭair mahāvegair garutmadbhir ivāhave ||
khurāhatā dharā rājaṃś cakampe ca nanāda ca ||
khuraśabdaś ca sumahān vājināṃ śuśruve tadā ||
mahāvaṃśavanasyeva dahyamānasya parvate ||
utpatadbhiś ca tais tatra samuddhūtaṃ mahad rajaḥ ||
divākarapathaṃ prāpya chādayām āsa bhāskaram ||
vegavadbhir hayais tais tu kṣobhitaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ balam ||
nipatadbhir mahāvegair haṃsair iva mahat saraḥ ||
heṣatāṃ caiva śabdena na prājñāyata kiṃ cana ||
Then the son of Subala, with a hundred thousand horsemen bearing bright prasas, rishtis, and tomaras in their hands, proud, swift, strong, banner-bearing, trained and skilled in war, surrounded on every side Nakula, Sahadeva, and the Pandava Dharmaraja, the best of men, and held them back. After this King Duryodhana sent ten thousand valiant horsemen to stop the Pandavas. As these swift warriors charged into the fight like Garudas, the earth, struck by their hooves, O king, trembled and roared. Then there arose the tremendous din of the horses' hooves, like the crackling of a great bamboo forest ablaze on a mountain. The great dust they raised reached the path of the sun and hid the sun from sight. The swift horses, charging with great speed, threw the army of the Pandavas into turmoil, as a great lake is stirred by swans; from the sound of their neighing nothing at all could be discerned."
0bd8a7c5f79e · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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The cavalry charge is described as a force of nature: the earth trembles, dust hides the sun, sound strips away clarity. Military power here works not only through weapons but through the overwhelming of perception.