Karna Parva 87.11
Rahular Itihasa / M. N. Dutt · Karna Parva Chapter 87 · Verse 11
Sanskrit Original
तौ दृष्ट्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रौ रथस्थौ रथिनां वरौ। प्रगृहीतमहाचापौ शरशक्तिध्वजायुतौ॥ वर्मिणौ बद्धनिस्त्रिंशौ श्वेताश्वौ शङ्खशोभितौ। तूणीरवरसम्पन्नौ द्वावष्येतौ सुदर्शनौ॥ रक्तचन्दनदिग्धाङ्गौ समदौ गोवृषाविव। चापविद्युद्ध्वजोपेतौ शस्त्रसम्पत्तियोधिनौ॥ चामरव्यजनोपेतौ श्वेतच्छनोपशोभितौ। कृष्णशल्यरथोपेतौ तुल्यरूपौ महारथौ॥ सिंहस्कन्धौ दीर्घभुजौ रक्ताक्षौ हेममालिनौ। सिंहस्कन्धप्रतीकाशौ व्यूढोरस्कौ महाबलौ॥ अन्योन्यवधमिच्छन्तावन्योन्यजयकाङ्क्षिणौ। अन्योन्यमभिधावन्तौ गोष्ठे गोवृषभाविव। प्रभिन्नाविव मातङ्गौ सुसंहब्याविवाचलौ॥ आशीविषशिशुप्रख्यौ यमकालान्तकोपमौ। इन्द्रवृत्राविव क्रुद्धौ सूर्याचन्द्रसमप्रभौ॥ महाग्रहाविव क्रुद्धौ युगान्ताय समुत्थितौ। देवगर्भी देवबल देवतुल्यौ च रूपतः॥ यद्दच्छया समायातौ सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ यथा। बलिनौ समरे दृप्तौ नानाशस्त्रधरौ युधि॥ तौ दृष्ट्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रौ शार्दूलाविव धिष्ठितौ। बभूव परमो हर्षस्तावकानां विशाम्पते॥
All the persons gazed eagerly on those two best of car warriors and most powerful of men as they faced each other adorned with arrows and darts. Both of them were cased in armour and had sword hanging in their belts; they had grey steeds yoked to their cars and both of them had beautiful conchs; both of them were mighty car warriors, one had Shalya for his driver, the other had Krishna. Both had long arms and necks powerful like that of the lion; their eyes looked red with rage and they were decked with golden garlands; their bows seemed to send forth lightning flashes and they were possessed of choicest of weapons. They were being fanned with chowries and white umbrellas were held over their heads; and they were masters of best arrows and looked most beautiful. Both of them were like furious bulls; and they were both broad chested and had short necks like lion and were exceedingly strong. O monarch, summoning each other to coinbat they precipitated upon one another like two powerful bulls in a cowshed with the intention of slaying one another. As they fought they resembled two furious elephants, or angry mountains, or the little snakes of deadly poison or Yama the destroyer of the creation. Roused against each other like Indra and Vritra (Asura) they resembled the sun and the moon in brilliancy and looked like two planets approaching each other in order to burning the world to its end. They were both handsome as the gods and were of godlike prowess having sprung from heavenly fathers. O king, your army were filled with delight seeing those two brave warriors of tiger-like ferocity engaged in battle.