6-1-001
जनमेजय उवाच
कथं युयुधिरे वीराः कुरुपाण्डवसोमकाः
पार्थिवाश्च महाभागा नानादेशसमागताः
Janamejaya asked, "How did those brave ones, the Kuru-s, the Pāṇḍava-s, the Somaka-s and the extremely fortunate kings who had assembled from many countries, fight?"
6-1-002
वैशंपायन उवाच
यथा युयुधिरे वीराः कुरुपाण्डवसोमकाः
कुरुक्षेत्रे तपःक्षेत्रे शृणु तत्पृथिवीपते
Vaiśampāyana said: O lord of the earth! Listen to how those brave ones, the Kuru-s, the Pāṇḍava-s and the Somaka-s, fought in Kurukṣetra, the region where austerities were performed.
6-1-003
अवतीर्य कुरुक्षेत्रं पाण्डवाः सहसोमकाः
कौरवानभ्यवर्तन्त जिगीषन्तो महाबलाः
Arriving in Kurukṣetra, the extremely powerful Pāṇḍava-s, together with the Somaka-s, were desirous of victory and advanced against the Kaurava-s.
6-1-004
वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नाः सर्वे युद्धाभिनन्दिनः
आशंसन्तो जयं युद्धे वधं वाभिमुखा रणे
All of them were accomplished in the study of the Veda-s and rejoiced at the prospect of battle. They wished to be victorious in the fight and were ready to be slain in the field of battle.
6-1-005
अभियाय च दुर्धर्षां धार्तराष्ट्रस्य वाहिनीम्
प्राङ्मुखाः पश्चिमे भागे न्यविशन्त ससैनिकाः
They advanced towards the invincible army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son and, together with their soldiers, set up camp on the western side, facing the east.
6-1-006
समन्तपञ्चकाद्बाह्यं शिबिराणि सहस्रशः
कारयामास विधिवत्कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
In the prescribed fashion, Kuntī's son, Yudhiṣṭhira, instructed that thousands of camps should be set up in the region beyond Samantapañcaka.
6-1-007
शून्येव पृथिवी सर्वा बालवृद्धावशेषिता
निरश्वपुरुषा चासीद्रथकुञ्जरवर्जिता
The entire earth seemed to be devoid of horses, men, chariots and elephants, with only children and the aged remaining.
6-1-008
यावत्तपति सूर्यो हि जम्बूद्वीपस्य मण्डलम्
तावदेव समावृत्तं बलं पार्थिवसत्तम
O supreme among kings! That large army was as large as the entire spread of Jambūdvīpa, over which the sun radiates heat.
6-1-009
एकस्थाः सर्ववर्णास्ते मण्डलं बहुयोजनम्
पर्याक्रामन्त देशांश्च नदीः शैलान्वनानि च
All the vārṇa-s were together and the expanse covered many yojanā-s, encompassing in due course, all the regions, rivers, mountains and forests.
6-1-010
तेषां युधिष्ठिरो राजा सर्वेषां पुरुषर्षभ
आदिदेश सवाहानां भक्ष्यभोज्यमनुत्तमम्
King Yudhiṣṭhira, bull among all men, instructed that the best of food, and every object of enjoyment, should be supplied to them and their mounts.
6-1-011
संज्ञाश्च विविधास्तास्तास्तेषां चक्रे युधिष्ठिरः
एवंवादी वेदितव्यः पाण्डवेयोऽयमित्युत
Yudhiṣṭhira assigned diverse kinds of signs to them, so that in this fashion, they would know that they belonged to the Pāṇḍaveya side.
6-1-012
अभिज्ञानानि सर्वेषां संज्ञाश्चाभरणानि च
योजयामास कौरव्यो युद्धकाल उपस्थिते
With the time for battle having arrived, Kauravya instructed that all of them should have signs and emblems, so that they might be recognized.
6-1-013
दृष्ट्वा ध्वजाग्रं पार्थानां धार्तराष्ट्रो महामनाः
सह सर्वैर्महीपालैः प्रत्यव्यूहत पाण्डवान्
When Dhṛtarāṣṭra's great-minded son saw the tops of the standards of the Pārtha-s, he and all the kings arrayed themselves against the Pāṇḍava-s.
6-1-014
पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन मूर्धनि
मध्ये नागसहस्रस्य भ्रातृभिः परिवारितम्
He was in the midst of one thousand elephants and was surrounded by his brothers, with a white umbrella held aloft his head.
6-1-015
दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनं हृष्टाः सर्वे पाण्डवसैनिकाः
दध्मुः सर्वे महाशङ्खान्भेरीर्जघ्नुः सहस्रशः
On seeing Duryodhana thus, all the Pāṇḍava soldiers were delighted. All of them blew on giant conch shells and sounded thousands of kettledrums.
6-1-016
ततः प्रहृष्टां स्वां सेनामभिवीक्ष्याथ पाण्डवाः
बभूवुर्हृष्टमनसो वासुदेवश्च वीर्यवान्
The Pāṇḍava-s and the valiant Vāsudeva were delighted to see that their soldiers were rejoicing.
6-1-017
ततो योधान्हर्षयन्तौ वासुदेवधनंजयौ
दध्मतुः पुरुषव्याघ्रौ दिव्यौ शङ्खौ रथे स्थितौ
To delight their warriors, Vāsudeva and Dhanañjayā, tigers among men who were stationed on their chariot, blew their divine conch shells.
6-1-018
पाञ्चजन्यस्य निर्घोषं देवदत्तस्य चोभयोः
श्रुत्वा सवाहना योधाः शकृन्मूत्रं प्रसुस्रुवुः
Both Pāñcajanya and Devadatta resounded. At this, the warriors and the mounts released urine and excrement.
6-1-019
यथा सिंहस्य नदतः स्वनं श्रुत्वेतरे मृगाः
त्रसेयुस्तद्वदेवासीद्धार्तराष्ट्रबलं तदा
Like deer do on hearing the sound of a roaring lion. Dhṛtarāṣṭra's army at that time was frightened on hearing this.
6-1-020
उदतिष्ठद्रजो भौमं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन
अन्तर्धीयत चादित्यः सैन्येन रजसावृतः
A terrible dust arose and nothing could be seen. Enveloped in the dust raised by the soldiers, the sun disappeared.
6-1-021
ववर्ष चात्र पर्जन्यो मांसशोणितवृष्टिमान्
व्युक्षन्सर्वाण्यनीकानि तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Clouds rained down showers of flesh and blood and this covered all the soldiers. It was extraordinary.
6-1-022
वायुस्ततः प्रादुरभून्नीचैः शर्करकर्षणः
विनिघ्नंस्तान्यनीकानि विधमंश्चैव तद्रजः
Then, near the ground, a wind arose, carrying small stones. The troops were afflicted with this, but the dust was dispelled.
6-1-023
उभे सेने तदा राजन्युद्धाय मुदिते भृशम्
कुरुक्षेत्रे स्थिते यत्ते सागरक्षुभितोपमे
O king! The two armies stood ready and stationed in Kurukṣetra, delighted at the prospect of battle, like two turbulent oceans.
6-1-024
तयोस्तु सेनयोरासीदद्भुतः स समागमः
युगान्ते समनुप्राप्ते द्वयोः सागरयोरिव
The encounter between those two armies was extraordinary, like two oceans when the end of a yuga has arrived.
6-1-025
शून्यासीत्पृथिवी सर्वा बालवृद्धावशेषिता
तेन सेनासमूहेन समानीतेन कौरवैः
When the Kaurava-s assembled their armies, the entire earth became empty, with the exception of the aged and children.
6-1-026
ततस्ते समयं चक्रुः कुरुपाण्डवसोमकाः
धर्मांश्च स्थापयामासुर्युद्धानां भरतर्षभ
O bull among the Bhārata lineage! Then the Kuru-s, Pāṇḍava-s and Somaka-s had an agreement and established rules of dharma that would be followed in the war.
6-1-027
निवृत्ते चैव नो युद्धे प्रीतिश्च स्यात्परस्परम्
यथापुरं यथायोगं न च स्याच्छलनं पुनः
When hostilities ceased, there would be friendliness towards each other, as was the appropriate behaviour earlier. There would be no resort to deceit again.
6-1-028
वाचा युद्धे प्रवृत्ते नो वाचैव प्रतियोधनम्
निष्क्रान्तः पृतनामध्यान्न हन्तव्यः कथंचन
Those engaged in a war of words would be countered with words. Those who had withdrawn from the midst of battle should not be killed under any circumstances.
6-1-029
रथी च रथिना योध्यो गजेन गजधूर्गतः
अश्वेनाश्वी पदातिश्च पदातेनैव भारत
O descendant of the Bhārata lineage! A rāṭha should only fight with a rāṭha, one on an elephant with another on an elephant, one on a horse with another on a horse and a foot soldier with a foot soldier.
6-1-030
यथायोगं यथावीर्यं यथोत्साहं यथावयः
समाभाष्य प्रहर्तव्यं न विश्वस्ते न विह्वले
Any striking should be in accordance with appropriateness, valour, energy and age and after a challenge had been issued.
6-1-031
परेण सह संयुक्तः प्रमत्तो विमुखस्तथा
क्षीणशस्त्रो विवर्मा च न हन्तव्यः कथंचन
It should not be against one who was unsuspecting or distressed, or was engaged in fighting with another, or was distracted or retreating.
6-1-032
न सूतेषु न धुर्येषु न च शस्त्रोपनायिषु
न भेरीशङ्खवादेषु प्रहर्तव्यं कथंचन
One who was without a weapon or without armour should never be killed. One should never strike charioteers, those carrying burdens, those carrying weapons and those who sound kettledrums or conch shells.
6-1-033
एवं ते समयं कृत्वा कुरुपाण्डवसोमकाः
विस्मयं परमं जग्मुः प्रेक्षमाणाः परस्परम्
Having concluded this agreement, the Kuru-s, the Pāṇḍava-s and the Somaka-s looked at each other in supreme wonder.
6-1-034
निविश्य च महात्मानस्ततस्ते पुरुषर्षभाः
हृष्टरूपाः सुमनसो बभूवुः सहसैनिकाः
Those great-souled bulls among men stationed themselves and together with their soldiers, were extremely delighted in their minds.