atha prathamo'dhyāyaḥ Chapter 1

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
1 dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ । māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya ॥
Dhrutarashtra queries Sanjaya: My sons and those of [my] younger brother Pandu assembled in the hallowed grounds of Kurukshetra, eager for battle. What did they do?
sañjaya uvāca
2 dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṃ vyūḍhaṃ duryodhanastadā । ācāryamupa saṅgamya rājā vacanamabravīt ॥
Sanjaya replies: Upon seeing the Pandava army prepared to battle, King Duryodhana approached Dronacharya and said the following.
3 paśśyaitām pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṃ ācārya mahatīṃ camūm । vyūḍhāṃ drupada-putreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā ॥
O Teacher, look at this large Pandava army. King Drupada's son Dhrushtadyumna, your student, has wisely readied this army. See.
4 atra śūrā maheṣvāsāḥ bhīmārjuna-samā yudhi । yuyudhāno virāṭaśca drupadaśca mahārathaḥ ॥
5 dhṛṣṭaketuścekitānaḥ kāśi-rājaśca vīrya-vān । puru-jit kunti-bhojaśca śaibyaśca nara-puṅgavaḥ ॥
6 yudhāmanyuśca vikrāntaḥ uttamaujāśca vīrya-vān । saubhadro draupadeyāśca sarva eva mahārathāḥ ॥
All in this army are skilled chariot fighters; fearless, heroic, and mighty warriors; accomplished archers; and equal Bhima and Arjuna in battle. Yuyudhana (Satyaki), Virata, Drupada, Shishupala's son Dhrushtaketu, Yadu clan's Chekitana, Bhima's father-in-law Kashiraja, Kuntibhoja and his son Purujit, Kekayas' father Shaibya, Panchala sons Yudhamanyu and Uttamojas, Subhadra's son Abhimanyu; and Draupadi's five sons Prativindhya, Sutasoma, Shrutakeerti, Shataaneeka, Shrutakriya.
7 asmākaṃ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama । nāyakā mama sainyasya sañjñārthaṃ tān bravīmi te ॥
O Teacher, I mention also the outstanding among us. These are leaders in my army. I say this to jog your memory.
8 bhavān bhīṣmaśca karṇaśca kṛpaśca samitiṃ-jayaḥ । aśvatthāmā vikarṇaśca saumadattistathaiva ca ॥
Yourself, Bhishma, Karna, war-winning Kripa; Ashwatthama, Vikarna (Duryodhana's younger brother), Somadatta's son Bhoorishravas.
9 anye ca bahavaḥ śūrāḥ madarthe tyakta-jīvitāḥ । nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ ॥
There are many other brave warriors ready to give their life for me. They all can fight with varieties of weapons, skilled in battle.
10 aparyāptaṃ tadasmākaṃ balaṃ bhīṣmābhi-rakṣitam । paryāptaṃ tvidameteṣāṃ balaṃ bhīmābhi-rakṣitam ॥
That army, ours, under Bhishma's protection is insufficient. This army, theirs, under Bhima's protection is sufficient.
11 ayaneṣu ca sarveṣu yathā-bhāgamava-sthitāḥ । bhīṣmamevābhi rakṣantu bhavantaḥ sarva eva hi ॥
In all parts of the fight, staying in your designated places, you all should protect Bhishma without fail.
12 tasya saṃ-janayan harṣaṃ kuru-vṛddhaḥ pitāmahaḥ । siṃha-nādaṃ vinadyoccaiḥ śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau pratāpa-vān ॥
To please Duryodhana, gradfather Bhishma, an elder in the Kuru clan, roared loudly like a lion and blew a conch causing agony in the enemy.
13 tataḥ śaṅkhāśca bheryaśca paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ । sahasaivābhyahanyanta sa śabdastumulo'bhavat ॥
Conchs, war drums, hand drums, barrel drums, and bugles were all sounded all at once immediately after, which caused tumult.
14 tataḥ śvetairhayairyukte mahati syandane sthitau । mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaścaiva divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ ॥
Thereafter, Krishna and Arjuna, who were in a large chariot drawn by four white horses, blew the finest conchs.
15 pāñcajanyaṃ hṛṣīkeśo deva-dattaṃ dhanaṃ-jayaḥ । pauṇḍraṃ dadhmau mahāśaṅkhaṃ bhīma-karmā vṛkodaraḥ ॥
Krishna blew the conch named Paanchajanya, a conch he had obtained by himself killing a demon named Panchajana who was in a sea. Arjuna blew Devadatta, a conch Indra had given him in Heaven. Bhimasena, who instills fear in evil people and gives precepts to good people, blew the large conch called Poundra.
16 ananta-vijayaṃ rājā kuntī-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ । nakulaḥ saha-devaśca sughoṣa-maṇi-puṣpakau ॥
17 kāśyaśca parameṣvāsaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca mahārathaḥ । dhṛṣṭa-dyumno virāṭaśca sātyakiścāparājitaḥ ॥
18 drupado draupadeyāśca sarvaśaḥ pṛthivī-pate । saubhadraśca mahābāhuḥ śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ pṛthak-pṛthak ॥
19 sa ghoṣo dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ hṛdayāni vyadārayat । nabhaśca pṛthivīṃ caiva tumulo vyanu-nādayan ॥
20 atha vyavasthitān dṛṣṭvādhārtarāṣṭrān kapi-dhvajaḥ । pravṛtte śastra-sampāte dhanurudyamya pāṇḍavaḥ ॥
21 hṛṣīkeśaṃ tadā vākyaṃ idamāha mahī-pate । senayorubhayormadhye rathaṃ sthāpaya me'cyuta ॥
22 yāvadetān nirīkṣe'haṃ yoddhu-kāmānava-sthitān । kairmayā saha yoddhavyaṃ asmin raṇa-samudyame ॥
23 yotsyamānānavekṣe'haṃ ya ete'tra samāgatāḥ । dhārtarāṣṭrasya durbuddheḥ yuddhe priya-cikīrṣavaḥ ॥
24 evamukto hṛṣīkeśo guḍākeśena bhārata । senayorubhayormadhye sthāpayitvā rathottamam ॥
25 bhīṣma-droṇa-pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ ca mahī-kṣitām । uvāca pārtha paśśyaitān samavetān kurūniti ॥
26 tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṝnatha pitāmahān । ācāryān mātulān bhrātṝn putrān pautrān sakhīṃstathā ॥
27 śvaśurān suhṛdaścaiva senayorubhayorapi ।
kṛpayā parayā''viṣṭo viṣīdannidamabravīt ॥
28 tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūnava-sthitān ।
dṛṣṭvemaṃ svajanaṃ kṛṣṇa yuyutsuṃ samupa-sthitam ॥
29 sīdanti mama gātrāṇi mukhaṃ ca pari-śuṣyati । vepathuśca śarīre me roma-harṣaśca jāyate ॥
30 gāṇḍīvaṃ sraṃsate hastāt tvak caiva pari-dahyate । naca śaknomyava-sthātuṃ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ ॥
31 nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava । naca śreyo'nu paśyāmi hatvā sva-janamāhave ॥
32 na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa naca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca । kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā ॥
33 yeṣāmarthe kāṅkṣitaṃ no rājyaṃ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca । ta ime'va-sthitā yuddhe prāṇāṃstyaktvā dhanāni ca ॥
34 ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrāḥ tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ । mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ syālāḥ sambandhinastathā ॥
35 etān na hantumicchāmi ghnato'pi madhu-sūdana । api trailokya-rājyasya hetoḥ kiṃ nu mahī-kṛte ॥
36 nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syājjanārdana । pāpamevā'śrayedasmān hatvaitānātatāyinaḥ ॥
37 tasmānnārhā vayaṃ hantuṃ dhārtarāṣṭrān sva-bāndhavān । sva-janaṃ hi kathaṃ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava ॥
38 yadyapyete na paśyanti lobhopa-hata-cetasaḥ । kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṃ doṣaṃ mitra-drohe ca pātakam ॥
39 kathaṃ na jñeyamasmābhiḥ pāpādasmānnivartitum । kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṃ doṣaṃ pra-paśyadbhirjanārdana ॥
40 kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ । dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnaṃ adharmo'bhi-bhavatyuta ॥
41 adharmābhi-bhavāt kṛṣṇa pra-duṣyanti kula-striyaḥ । strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ ॥
42 saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṃ kulasya ca । patanti pitaro hyeṣāṃ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ ॥
43 doṣairetaiḥ kula-ghnānāṃ varṇa-saṅkara-kārakaiḥ । utsādyante jāti-dharmāḥ kula-dharmāśca śāśvatāḥ ॥
44 utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ janārdana । narake niyataṃ vāso bhavatītyanu śuśruma ॥
45 aho bata mahat pāpaṃ kartuṃ vyavasitā vayam । yadrājya-sukha-lobhena hantuṃ sva-janamudyatāḥ ॥
46 yadi māmapratīkāraṃ aśastraṃ śastra-pāṇayaḥ । dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyuḥ tanme kṣema-taraṃ bhavet ॥
47 evamuktvā'rjunaḥ saṅkhe rathopastha upāviśat । visṛjya sa-śaraṃ cāpaṃ śoka-saṃvigna-mānasaḥ ॥

iti prathamo'dhyāyaḥ