तेन विद्राव्यमाणानि पाण्डुसैन्यानि मारिष ॥
निशीथे विप्रकीर्यन्त वातनुन्ना घना इव ॥
घटोत्कचशरैर् नुन्ना तथैव कुरुवाहिनी ॥
निशीथे प्राद्रवद् राजन्न् उत्सृज्योल्काः सहस्रशः ॥
अलंबलस् ततः क्रुद्धो भैमसेनिं महामृधे ॥
आजघ्ने निशितैर् बाणैस् तोत्त्रैर् इव महाद्विपम् ॥
तिलशस् तस्य तद् यानं सूतं सर्वायुधानि च ॥
घटोत्कचः प्रचिच्छेद प्राणदच् चातिदारुणम् ॥
tena vidrāvyamāṇāni pāṇḍusainyāni māriṣa ||
niśīthe viprakīryanta vātanunnā ghanā iva ||
ghaṭotkacaśarair nunnā tathaiva kuruvāhinī ||
niśīthe prādravad rājann utsṛjyolkāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
alaṃbalas tataḥ kruddho bhaimaseniṃ mahāmṛdhe ||
ājaghne niśitair bāṇais tottrair iva mahādvipam ||
tilaśas tasya tad yānaṃ sūtaṃ sarvāyudhāni ca ||
ghaṭotkacaḥ praciccheda prāṇadac cātidāruṇam ||
And having pierced the son of Bhimasena with many arrows, Alambala turned the army of the Pandavas to flight with hosts of arrows. Turned to flight by him, the armies of Pandu, O venerable one, at midnight scattered like clouds driven by the wind. Driven by Ghatotkacha's arrows, likewise too the army of the Kurus at midnight fled, O king, having thrown down torches by the thousand. Then enraged Alambala struck the son of Bhimasena in the great melee with sharp arrows, like goads -- a great elephant.
0b68467b82e2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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Both armies -- of the Pandavas and of the Kurus -- alike scatter "like clouds before the wind": the fury of the two rakshasas makes no distinction of sides. It is telling that the night battle of the giants destroys friend and foe without discrimination. The verse teaches that unleashed strife serves no one's advantage: it crushes everything around it; and when forces beyond measure enter the fray, both sides perish alike -- for frenzy knows no allies.