अर्जुन उवाच ततोऽश्मवर्षं सुमहत् प्रादुरासीत् समन्ततः। नगमात्रैः शिलाखण्डैस्तन्मां दृढमपीडयत्॥

Arjuna said: Then commenced a mighty shower of stones from all sides; (and) those stones, big as rocks, sore oppressed me.

Vana Parva 171.1

तदहं वज्रसंकाशैर्महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रचोदितैः। अचूर्णयं वेगवद्भिः शरजालैर्महाहवे॥

Thereupon, at that terrible encounter, I crushed (those crags) with showers of fleet arrows, resembling the thunderbolt, discharged from Mahendra's weapon.

Vana Parva 171.2

चूर्ण्यमानेऽश्मवर्षे तु पावकः समजायत। तत्राश्मचूर्णान्यपतन् पावकप्रकरा इव॥

Those crags being reduced to pieces, there ensued fire and those fragments of stones fell like sparks of flame.

Vana Parva 171.3

ततोऽश्मवर्षे विहते जलवर्षं महत्तरम्। धाराभिरक्षमात्राभिः प्रादुरासीन्ममान्तिके॥

Then, those showers of stones having been destroyed, there fell near me a mighty downpour of water having torrents of the size of an axle.

Vana Parva 171.4

नभसः प्रच्युताधारास्तिग्मवीर्याः सहस्रशः। आवृण्वन् सर्वतो व्योम दिशश्चोपदिशस्तथा॥

Thousand of mighty torrents (of water), falling from the sky, enveloped the entire firmament and (all) the directions and the (ten) cardinal points.

Vana Parva 171.5

धाराणां च निपातेन वायोर्विस्फूर्जितेन च। गर्जितेन च दैत्यानां न प्राज्ञायत किंचन॥

(And) I was quite bewildered on account of that (heavy) downpour, blowing of the wind and the yell of the Daityas.

Vana Parva 171.6

धारा दिवि च सम्बद्धा वसुधायां च सर्वशः। व्यामोहयन्त मां तत्र निपतन्त्योऽनिशं भुवि॥

Those showers, covering (the entire space) between the heaven and the earth and incessantly falling upon the ground, (quite) confounded me.

Vana Parva 171.7

तत्रोपदिष्टमिन्द्रेण दिव्यमस्त्रं विशोषणम्। दीप्तं प्राहिणवं घोरमशुष्यत् तेन तज्जलम्॥

Thereupon, I discharged that terrible, flaming and celestials weapon, Vishoshana, learnt from Indra, which dried the water up.

Vana Parva 171.8

हतेऽश्मवर्षे च मया जलवर्षे च शोषिते। मुमुचुर्दानवा मायामग्निं वायुं च भारत॥

The showers of stones being destroyed and the watery shower dried up by me, O Bharata, the Danavas created illusions of fire and wind.

Vana Parva 171.9

ततोऽहमग्निं व्यधमं सलिलास्त्रेण सर्वशः। शैलेन च महास्त्रेण वायोर्वेगमधारयम्॥

Then I totally destroyed the fire by Salila (watery) weapon; and arrested the fury of the wind by the mighty Shaila (rock) weapon.

Vana Parva 171.10

तस्यां प्रतिहतायां च दानवा युद्धदुर्मदाः। प्राकुर्वन् विविधां मायां योगपद्येन भारत॥

(And), O Bharata, on the destruction of these (illusions), the Danavas, irrepressible in battle, produced (simultaneously) several other) illusions.

Vana Parva 171.11

ततो वर्ष प्रादुरभूत् सुमहल्लोमहर्षणम्। अस्त्राणां घोररूपाणामग्नेर्वायोस्तथाश्मनाम्॥

Then commenced a terrible shower of rocks and of the dreadful weapons of fire and wind, making the hair stand on the end (with terror).

Vana Parva 171.12

सा तु मायामयी वृष्टिः पीडयामास मां युधि। अथ घोरं तमस्तीव्र प्रादुरासीत् समन्ततः॥

And that downpour (of rocks and weapons) oppressed me in battle. Then there spread on all sides a dismal darkness.

Vana Parva 171.13

तमसा संवृते लोके घोरेण परुषेण च। हरयो विमुखाश्चासन् प्रास्खलच्चापि मातलिः॥

When the world was enveloped in that terrible and dense darkness, the horses drew back, Matali stumbled,

Vana Parva 171.14

हस्ताद्धि रश्मयश्चास्य प्रतोदः प्रापतद् भुवि। असकृच्चाह मां भीत: क्वासीति भरतर्षभा॥

And the golden whip fell on the ground from his hand. O best of the Bharata, getting terrified, he repeatedly cried out "Where are you?"

Vana Parva 171.15

मां च भीराविशत् तीव्रा तस्मिन् विगतचेतसि। स च मां विगतज्ञानः संत्रस्तमिदमब्रवीत्॥

(And), when he lost his senses, I also was seized with a terrible fear. And (thus stupefied) he said to me in a hurry,

Vana Parva 171.16

सुराणामसुराणां च संग्रामः सुमहानभूत्। अमृतार्थं पुरा पार्थ स च दृष्टो मयानघ॥

"O Sinless being, in days of yore a terrible battle was fought between the gods and the demons for the sake of nectar, which I witnessed.

Vana Parva 171.17

शम्बरस्य वधे घोरः संग्रामः सुमहानभूत्। सारथ्यं देवराजस्य तत्रापि कृतवानहम्॥

(And) in that mighty and terrible encounter, which took place for the destruction of the (Asura) Shambara, I acted as the charioteer of the lord of the gods.

Vana Parva 171.18

तथैव वृत्रस्य वधे संगृहीता हया मया। वैरोचनेर्महायुद्धं दृष्टं चापि सुदारुणम्॥

Again, I drove the horses on the occasion of Vritra's destruction and also witnessed that awful and terrible encounter with the son of Virochana.

Vana Parva 171.19

एते मया महाघोराः संग्रामाः पर्युपासिताः। न चापि विगतज्ञानोऽभूतपूर्वोऽस्मि पाण्डव॥

O Pandava, I witnessed all those terrible encounters. But never before (this) did I lose Imy senses.

Vana Parva 171.20

पितामहेन संहारः प्रजानां विहितोध्रुवम्। न हि युद्धमिदं युक्तमन्यत्र जगतः क्षयात्॥

Verily, it has been ordained by Pitamaha (Brahma) that the creation will be destroyed (at this encounter). For I find no other reason for this battle, If it be not for the destruction of the whole universe."

Vana Parva 171.21

तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। मोहयिष्यन् दानवानामहं मायाबलं महत्॥

Hearing these words (of Matali) and pacifying my mind with my own efforts and deliberating (within myself) how to battle this mighty illusion created by the Danavas,

Vana Parva 171.22

अब्रुवं मातलिं भीतं पश्य मे भुजयोर्बलम्। अस्त्राणां च प्रभावं वैधनुषो गाण्डिवस्य च॥

I spoke to terrified Matali, “behold the prowess of my arms and the power of my weapons and that of my bow Gandiva.

Vana Parva 171.23

अद्यास्त्रमाययैतेषां मायामेतां सुदारुणाम्। विनिहन्मि तमश्चोग्रं मा भैः सूत स्थिरो भव॥

O charioteer do not be afraid, calm yourself. I will, this day, destroy the terrible illusion created by them and also this dense darkness, by illusion-creating weapon."

Vana Parva 171.24

एवमुक्त्वाहमसृजमस्त्रमायां नराधिप। मोहनी सर्वभूतानां हिताय त्रिदिवौकसाम्॥

O lord of men, having said this, I produced an illusion by the means of weapons capable of stupefying the whole creating, for the welfare of the celestials.

Vana Parva 171.25

पाड्यमानासु मायासु तासु तास्वसुरोत्तमाः। पुनर्बहुविधा मायाः प्राकुर्वन्नमितौजसः॥

That illusion being dispelled, some of the foremost amongst the Asuras, possessed of unrivalled prowess, again created various sorts of illusions,

Vana Parva 171.26

पुनः प्रकाशमभवत् तमसा ग्रस्यते पुनः। भवत्यदर्शनो लोकः पुनरप्सु निमज्जति॥

(In consequence of which) now the world displayed itself, now it was enveloped in darkness, now it disappeared (from view) and, now again, it was submerged into water.

Vana Parva 171.27

सुसंगृहीतैर्हरिभिः प्रकाशे सति मातलिः। व्यचरत् स्यन्दनायेण संग्रामे लोमहर्षणे॥

And when it displayed itself again to view, Matali with the well-conducted steeds, began to course in battle field which made the hair stand erect (with fear).

Vana Parva 171.28

ततः पर्यपतन्नुग्रा निवातकवचा मयि। तानहं विवरं दृष्ट्वा प्राहिण्वं यमसादनम्॥

Then the furious Nivatakavachas flew towards me. Seizing this opportunity, I began to send them to the abode of Yama.

Vana Parva 171.29

वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे निवातकवचान्तके। नापश्यं सहसा सर्वान् दानवान् माययाऽवृतान्॥

In that encounter, fatal to the Danavas, which was still regaining, all on a sudden, I could not behold those demons who concealed themselves under the cover of illusion.

Vana Parva 171.30