बीभत्सुर् दक्षिणं पार्श्वम् उत्तरं तु वृकोदरः ॥
भारद्वाजं शरौघाभ्यां महद्भ्याम् अभ्यवर्षताम् ॥
तौ तदा सृञ्जयाश् चैव पाञ्चालाश् च महारथाः ॥
अन्वगच्छन् महाराज मत्स्याश् च सह सोमकैः ॥
तथैव तव पुत्रस्य रथोदाराः प्रहारिणः ॥
महत्या सेनया सार्धं जग्मुर् द्रोणरथं प्रति ॥
ततः सा भरती सेना वध्यमाना किरीटिना ॥
तमसा निद्रया चैव पुनर् एव व्यदीर्यत ॥
bībhatsur dakṣiṇaṃ pārśvam uttaraṃ tu vṛkodaraḥ ||
bhāradvājaṃ śaraughābhyāṃ mahadbhyām abhyavarṣatām ||
tau tadā sṛñjayāś caiva pāñcālāś ca mahārathāḥ ||
anvagacchan mahārāja matsyāś ca saha somakaiḥ ||
tathaiva tava putrasya rathodārāḥ prahāriṇaḥ ||
mahatyā senayā sārdhaṃ jagmur droṇarathaṃ prati ||
tataḥ sā bharatī senā vadhyamānā kirīṭinā ||
tamasā nidrayā caiva punar eva vyadīryata ||
Bibhatsu to the right wing, and to the left, Vrikodara; they showered Drona with two mighty streams of arrows. Following those two, the Srinjayas and the Panchalas, great warriors, O great king, rushed after, together with the Matsyas and the Somakas. Likewise the illustrious warrior-charioteers of your son, together with a vast army, rushed toward Drona's chariot. Then that host of Bharata, being struck down by the Crowned One, was once more torn asunder by darkness and by drowsiness.
e27d4947d08e · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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The battle draws together into two centers: Arjuna and Bhima encircle Drona from two wings, while both allies and foes stream toward his chariot -- the field converges to a single knot. It is telling that the army is riven apart by three forces at once: Arjuna's arrows, the darkness of night, and drowsiness. The verse teaches that an army is overcome not by weapons alone but by the limits of bodily nature: fatigue and sleep break a formation more surely than many blows, and the wise commander reckons with them as with a force of battle.