अर्जुन उवाच ततो निवातकवचाः सर्वे वेगेन भारत। अभ्यद्रवन् मां सहिताः प्रगृहीतायुधा रणे।॥

Arjuna said: Then, O Bharata, furnished with arms, all the Nivatakavacha flew in a body towards me furiously in battle,

Vana Parva 170.1

आच्छाद्य स्थपन्थानमुत्क्रोशन्तो महारथाः। आवृत्य सर्वतस्ते मां शरवर्षैरवाकिरन्।॥

Those mighty car-warriors obstructing the course of the car and uttering loud yells and surrounding me on all sides, enveloped me with downpours of arrows.

Vana Parva 170.2

ततोऽपरे महावीर्याः शूलपट्टिशपाणयः। शूलानि च भुशुण्डीश्च मुमुचुर्दानवा मयि॥

Then other demons, of great strength armed with spears and Pattishas, hurled at me spears and Bhushundis.

Vana Parva 170.3

तच्छूलवर्ष सुमहद् गदाशक्तिसमाकुलम्। अनिशं सृज्यमानं तैरपतन्मद्रथोपरि॥

That continuous discharge of spears together with maces and clubs fell upon my car.

Vana Parva 170.4

अन्ये मामभ्यधावन्त निवातकवचा युधि। शितशस्त्रायुधा रौद्राः कालरूपाः प्रहारिणः॥

Other dreadful and terrible-looking Nivatakavachas, dexterous in hurling (weapons) and armed with sharpened weapons and bows, rushed at me in fight.

Vana Parva 170.5

तानहं विविधैर्बाणैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। गाण्डीवमुक्तैरभ्यनमेकैकं दशभिर्मधे॥

I (on my part) in the encounter, discharging several fleet arrows coursing straight, from the Gandiva, pierced each of them with ten (shafts).

Vana Parva 170.6

ते कृता विमुखाः सर्वे मत्प्रयुक्तैः शिलाशितैः। ततो मातलिना तूर्णं हयास्ते सम्प्रचोदिताः॥

(And) I drove them back by those arrows of mine sharpened on stones. Then those horses being swiftly driven by Matali,

Vana Parva 170.7

मार्गान् बहुविधांस्तत्र विचेरुर्वातरंहसः। सुसंयता मातलिना प्रामनन्त दितेः सुतान्॥

Careered through several courses with the spread of the wind and being dexterously guided by Matali, trampled upon the sons of Diti.

Vana Parva 170.8

शतं शतास्ते हरयस्तस्मिन् युक्ता महारथे। शान्ता मातलिना यत्ता व्यचरन्नल्पका इव॥

(And) Though that mighty car was yoked with hundreds of horses, yet being skillfully driven by Matali, as they began to move, it seemed as if they were a few only.

Vana Parva 170.9

तेषां चरणपातेन स्थनेमिस्वनेन च। मम बाणनिपातैश्च हतास्ते शतशोऽसुराः॥

By the press of their hoofs and by the thundering noise of the car-wheels and by the discharge of my arrows hundreds of demons fell dead.

Vana Parva 170.10

गतासवस्तथैवान्ये प्रगृहीतशरासनाः। हतसारथयस्तत्र व्यकृष्यन्त तुरंगमैः॥

Others, holding their bows in their hands, even when deprived of life and their charioteers being slain, were carried (hither and thither) by the horses.

Vana Parva 170.11

ते दिशो विदिशः सर्वे प्रतिरुध्य प्रहारिणः। अभ्यघ्नन् विविधैः शस्त्रैस्ततो मे व्यथितं मनः॥

(And) all those dexterous in striking, obstructing all sides and directions, became engaged in the fight with various weapons, at which my mind was distressed.

Vana Parva 170.12

ततोऽहं मातलेौर्यमपश्यं परमाद्भुतम्। अश्वांस्तथा वेगवतो यदयत्नादधारयत्॥

Then the prowess of Matali appeared highly wonderful to me in that he guided the swift steeds with ease.

Vana Parva 170.13

ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैरस्त्रैस्तानसुरान् रणे। चिच्छेद सायुधान् राजन् शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥

O king, then, in the fight, I cut off the Danavas by hundreds and thousands who were furnished with arms, by various swift weapons.

Vana Parva 170.14

एवं मे चरतस्तत्र सर्वयत्नेन शत्रुहन्। प्रीतिमानभवद् वीरो मातलिः शक्रसारथिः॥

O destroyer of foes, the heroic charioteer of Shakra, Matali, seeing me thus course there (on the field of battle) exerting my utmost, became well pleased (with me).

Vana Parva 170.15

वध्यमानास्ततस्तैस्तु हयैस्तेन रथेन च। अगमन् प्रक्षयं केचित्र्यवर्तन्त तथा परे॥ स्पर्धमाना इवास्माभिर्निवातकवचा रणे। शरवर्षेः शरार्तं मां महद्भिः प्रत्यवारयन्॥

Then, some (of the Danavas) crushed by the horses and the car, met with destruction and some gave up fighting; while others, in the encounter, challenged by us and afflicted with arrows, opposed me by heavy downpour of shafts.

Vana Parva 170.16

ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैर्ब्रह्मास्त्रपरिमन्त्रितैः। व्यधर्म सायकैराशु शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥

Thereupon, I began to consume them with hundreds and thousands of ornamented swift arrows inspired with Mantras relating to the weapon of Brahma.

Vana Parva 170.17

ततः सम्पीडयमानास्ते क्रोधाविष्टा महारथाः। अपीडयन् मां सहिताः शरशूलासिवृष्टिभिः॥

Then those mighty demons sore pressed by me and fired with anger, afflicted me with simultaneous discharge of clubs, darts and swords.

Vana Parva 170.18

ततोऽहमस्त्रमातिष्ठं परमं तिग्मतैजसम्। दयितं देवराजस्य माधवं नाम भारत॥

O Bharata, I then, took up that favourite weapon of the lord of the gods, named, Madhava, possessed of exceedingly fiery energy.

Vana Parva 170.19

ततः खङ्गास्त्रिशूलांश्च तोमरांश्च सहस्रशः। अस्त्रवीर्येण शतधा तैर्मुक्तानहमच्छिदम्॥

Then by the power of that weapon, I cut, to a hundred pieces, the swords, tridents and thousands of Tomaras hurled by them.

Vana Parva 170.20

छित्त्वा प्रहरणान्येषां ततस्तानपि सर्वशः। प्रत्यविध्यमहं रोषाद् दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः॥

Having destroyed their weapons, wrathfully pierced each of them with ten arrows.

Vana Parva 170.21

गाण्डीवाद्धि तदा संख्ये यथा भ्रमरपक्तयः। निष्पतन्ति महाबाणास्तन्मातलिरपूजयत्॥

And the fact that on the battle field mighty arrows like (thick flights of black bees), were discharged from the Gandiva, was admired by Matali.

Vana Parva 170.22

तेषामपि तु बाणास्ते तन्मातलिरपूजयत्। अवाकिरन् मां बलवत् तानहं व्यधमं शरैः॥

And the skillfulness with which displaying prowess, I cut off, with my shafts, their arrows which completely surrounded me, drew admiration from Matali.

Vana Parva 170.23

वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु निवातकवचाः पुनः। शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात् पर्यवारयन्॥

Being struck, those Nivatakavachas again completely surrounded me with a mighty discharge of arrows.

Vana Parva 170.24

शरवेगानिहत्याहमस्त्रैरस्त्रैविघातिभिः। ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शी।स्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः॥

Having arrested the career of their shafts by excellent, fleet and blazing weapons inspired with mantras, capable of destroying (other) weapons, I pierced them by thousands.

Vana Parva 170.25

तेषां छिन्नानि गात्राणि विसृजन्ति स्म शोणितम्। प्रावृषीवाभिवृष्टानि शृङ्गाण्यथधराभृताम्॥

Like waters running down from the summit of mountains, in the rainy season, blood began to flow from their mangled bodies.

Vana Parva 170.26

इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। मद्बाणैर्वध्यमानास्ते समुद्विग्नाः स्म दानवाः॥

Smitten by mighty, fleet and straightcoursing arrows having the touch of the thunderbolt hurled by Indra, those Danavas became greatly agitated.

Vana Parva 170.27

शतधा भिन्नदेहास्ते क्षीणप्रहरणौजसः। ततो निवातकवचा मामयुध्यन्त मायया॥

Their bodies were cut to a hundred pieces and their weapons lost their energy. Then those Nivatakavachas began fighting with me by the help of illusion.

Vana Parva 170.28