तथैव कुरवो राजन् भीष्मं कृत्वा महाबलम् ॥
अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां प्रययुः पाण्डवान् प्रति ॥
पुत्रैस् तव दुराधर्षै रक्षितः सुमहाबलैः ॥
ततो द्रोणो महेष्वासः पुत्रश् चास्य महारथः ॥
भगदत्तस् ततः पश्चाद् गजानीकेन संवृतः ॥
कृपश् च कृतवर्मा च भगदत्तम् अनुव्रतौ ॥
काम्बोजराजो बलवांस् ततः पश्चात् सुदक्षिणः ॥
मागधश् च जयत्सेनः सौबलश् च बृहद्बलः ॥
तथेतरे महेष्वासाः सुशर्मप्रमुखा नृपाः ॥
जघनं पालयाम् आसुस् तव सैन्यस्य भारत ॥
दिवसे दिवसे प्राप्ते भीष्मः शांतनवो युधि ॥
आसुरान् अकरोद् व्यूहान् पैशाचान् अथ राक्षसान् ॥
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तव तेषां च भारत ॥
अन्योन्यं निघ्नतां राजन् यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनम् ॥
अर्जुनप्रमुखाः पार्थाः पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम् ॥
भीष्मं युद्धे ऽभ्यवर्तन्त किरन्तो विविधाञ् शरान् ॥
तत्र भारत भीमेन पीडितास् तावकाः शरैः ॥
रुधिरौघपरिक्लिन्नाः परलोकं ययुस् तदा ॥
नकुलः सहदेवश् च सात्यकिश् च महारथः ॥
तव सैन्यं समासाद्य पीडयाम् आसुर् ओजसा ॥
ते वध्यमानाः समरे तावका भरतर्षभ ॥
नाशक्नुवन् वारयितुं पाण्डवानां महद् बलम् ॥
ततस् तु तावकं सैन्यं वध्यमानं समन्ततः ॥
संप्राद्रवद् दिशो राजन् काल्यमानं महारथैः ॥
त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त तावका भरतर्षभ ॥
वध्यमानाः शितैर् बाणैः पाण्डवैः सहसृञ्जयैः ॥
tathaiva kuravo rājan bhīṣmaṃ kṛtvā mahābalam ||
agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ prayayuḥ pāṇḍavān prati ||
putrais tava durādharṣai rakṣitaḥ sumahābalaiḥ ||
tato droṇo maheṣvāsaḥ putraś cāsya mahārathaḥ ||
bhagadattas tataḥ paścād gajānīkena saṃvṛtaḥ ||
kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca bhagadattam anuvratau ||
kāmbojarājo balavāṃs tataḥ paścāt sudakṣiṇaḥ ||
māgadhaś ca jayatsenaḥ saubalaś ca bṛhadbalaḥ ||
tathetare maheṣvāsāḥ suśarmapramukhā nṛpāḥ ||
jaghanaṃ pālayām āsus tava sainyasya bhārata ||
divase divase prāpte bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo yudhi ||
āsurān akarod vyūhān paiśācān atha rākṣasān ||
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata ||
anyonyaṃ nighnatāṃ rājan yamarāṣṭravivardhanam ||
arjunapramukhāḥ pārthāḥ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
bhīṣmaṃ yuddhe 'bhyavartanta kiranto vividhāñ śarān ||
tatra bhārata bhīmena pīḍitās tāvakāḥ śaraiḥ ||
rudhiraughapariklinnāḥ paralokaṃ yayus tadā ||
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca sātyakiś ca mahārathaḥ ||
tava sainyaṃ samāsādya pīḍayām āsur ojasā ||
te vadhyamānāḥ samare tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
nāśaknuvan vārayituṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahad balam ||
tatas tu tāvakaṃ sainyaṃ vadhyamānaṃ samantataḥ ||
saṃprādravad diśo rājan kālyamānaṃ mahārathaiḥ ||
trātāraṃ nādhyagacchanta tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
vadhyamānāḥ śitair bāṇaiḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sahasṛñjayaiḥ ||
Likewise the Kurus too, O king, placed the mighty Bhishma at the head of all their troops and advanced against the Pandavas. Your unassailable and immensely powerful sons guarded Bhishma. Behind him came the great archer Drona and his son, the mahāratha. Behind them moved Bhagadatta, surrounded by an elephant corps; Kripa and Kritavarman followed Bhagadatta. After them came the mighty king of Kamboja, Sudakshina, then Jayatsena of Magadha, Saubala, and Brihadbala. The remaining great archers, kings led by Susharman, guarded the rear of your army, O Bharata. With the coming of each day, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, arrayed asura, paishacha, and rakshasa formations in battle. Then a battle broke out between your men and theirs, O Bharata, in which the combatants slew one another and swelled the kingdom of Yama. The Parthas, led by Arjuna, placing Shikhandi in front, advanced against Bhishma in battle, showering him with various arrows. There, O Bharata, your warriors, struck by Bhima's arrows and drenched in streams of blood, then departed for the other world. Nakula, Sahadeva, and the mahāratha Satyaki, entering your army, pressed it with their might. Your warriors, being cut down in the fighting, O bull of the Bharatas, could not check the great host of the Pandavas. Then your army, struck on every side and driven by the mahārathas, fled in every direction, O king. Your warriors, O bull of the Bharatas, beaten by the sharp arrows of the Pandavas together with the Srinjayas, found no protector.
7245efc0cba2 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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Both sides enter the battle in careful array, but the array quickly breaks apart under the real pressure of combat. Shikhandi, set in front, becomes the sign that today's battle is aimed straight at Bhishma.