Harivamsha MahA PurANam - bhaviShya Parva
    atha pa~ncharviMshAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
    sAtyakiDimbhakayoryuddham
    harivamsha in the mahAbharata - bhaviShyaparva
    Lesson 125 sAtyaki - Dimbhaka battle
vaishampAyana uvAcha
yuddhaM chakraturatyarthaM tato DimbhakasAtyakI |
tAvubhau balinau vIrau vikhyAtau kShatriyeShu cha ||3-125-1
vaishampAyana said:
Then Dimbhaka and sAtyaki fought a great battle. Both were powerful valiants, famous among the kShatriya-s.
kR^itashramau mahAyuddhe satataM vR^iddhasevinau |
Both had fought great battles. Both always served experienced fighters.
sAtyakirdashabhirvIro DimbhakaM vedapAragam ||3-125-2
avidhyannishitairbANaistena vaktre tathorasi |
In the battle, valiant sAtyaki shot ten sharp arrows at the face and chest of Dimbhaka, an expert of veda-s.
sa tena viddho balinA DimbhakaH kShatriyottamaH ||3-125-3
nArAchaiH pa~nchasAhasrairvivyAdha yudhi garvitaH |
Dimbhaka, the best among kShatriya-s, having the false pride of war, who was shot at by the powerful sAtyaki, shot five thousand sharp arrows.
tAnantare vR^iShNivIro niShiddhanninadanbruvan ||3-125-4
The valiant vR^iShNi (sAtyaki) blocked the arrows in between, roared and spoke loudly.
atha kruddho nR^ipavaro viddhaH saptabhirAshugaiH |
punaH shatasahasreNa pratyavidhyata sAtyakim ||3-125-5
Then the best among kings became angry and shot seven fast moving arrows. Struck by these arrows, Dimbhaka shot one hundred thousand arrows at sAtyaki.
sAtyakistvatha vikrAnto dhanushchichCheda tasya tat |
ardhachandreNa tIkShNena Dimbhakasya sa yAdavaH ||3-125-6
The highly valiant sAtyaki of the race of yAdava-s immediately cut off the bow of Dimbhaka by a sharp arrow shaped like the half moon.
Ajaghne Dimbhako vIrashchApamAdAya chAparam |
kShurapreNAtha raudreNa tailadhautena vikramI ||3-125-7
The brave, valiant Dimbhaka took up another bow and shot a terrible well-oiled arrow, sharp like a knife.
sa tena viddho bANena vama~nChoNitakaM nR^ipa |
atIva shushubhe rAjanvasante kiMshuko yathA ||3-125-8
O king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Struck by that arrow, sAtyaki vomited blood and O king, ( janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued ) dazzled brightly like a Butea frondose tree (kiMshuka) in full blossom during the spring season.
dhanushchichCheda bhUyastu gR^ihItam yatpUrA dhanuH |
tato.anyaddhanurAdAya Dimbhako yAdaveshvaram ||3-125-9
jaghAna nishitairbANaiH sarvakShatrasya pashyataH
Again sAtyaki cut off the bow taken by Dimbhaka before. Then Dimbhaka took up another bow and shot sharp arrows at the indra of yAdava-s (sAtyaki) as all the kShatriya-s were watching.
sa dhanuH punaratyugraM chichCheda yudhi sAtyakiH ||3-125-10
shareNa tIkShNapu~Nkhena Dimbhakasya durAtmanaH |
Again sAtyaki cut off that highly terrible bow of the wicked soul Dimbhaka with sharp arrows in the battle.
tato.anyaddhanurAdAya satvaraM sa nR^ipottamaH ||3-125-11
dhanuShA tena rAjendra sAtyakiM vivyadhe punaH |
Then that best one among kings, Dimbhaka quickly took up another bow and O the indra of kings, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued), again shot arrows at sAtyaki with that bow.
evaM dhanUMShi rAjendra shataM pa~ncha cha pa~ncha cha ||3-125-12
ChittvA nanAda shaineyaH sarvakShatrasya pashyataH |
In this way, O indra among kings, the son of shini, sAtyaki cut off hundred, five and another five bows and roared loudly as all the kShatriya-s (kings) were watching.
dhanushI tau parityajya vIrau DimbhakasAtyakI ||3-125-13
khaDgau pragR^ihya chAtyugrau yuddhAya samupasthitau |
Both the valiants, Dimbhaka and sAtyaki, then abandoned the bows and took up highly terrible swords and stood for battle.
tau hi khaDgavidAM shreShThau vIrau DimbhakasAtyakI ||3-125-14
Both of them, the valiant Dimbhaka and sAtyaki are best among the experts of sword-fight.
dauHshAsanirmahAbhAgaH saumadattistathaiva cha |
abhimanyushcha vikrAnto nakulashcha tathaiva cha ||3-125-15
ete khaDgavidAMshreShThAH kIrtitA yuddhi sattamAH |
The one of good fortune, dauHshAsani, the son of somadatta (bhUriShrava), the valiant abhimanyu (son of arjuna) as well as nakula are considered as famous experts of sword-fight in the battle.
eteShvetau nR^ipashreShThau ShaTsu vai nR^ipasattama ||3-125-16
tAvetAvasinA yuddhaM chakraturyuddhalAlasau |
O the best among kings! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Among these six, these two, who are considered as the best kings, and interested in battle, started fighting each other with swords.
bhrAntamudbhrAntamAviddhaM praviddhaM bAhuniHsR^itam ||3-125-17
AkaraM vikaraM bhinnaM nirmaryAdamamAnuSham |
sa~NkochitaM kulachitaM savyajAnu vijAnu cha ||3-125-18
AhikaM chitrakaM kShiptaM kusumbaM lambanaM dhR^itam |
sarvabAhu vinirbAhu savyetaramathottaram ||3-125-19
tribAhustu~NgabAhushcha savyonnatamudAsi cha |
pR^iShThataH prathitaM chaiva yaudhikaM prathitam tathA ||3-125-20
Whirling (bhrAnta), whirling upwards (udbhrAnta), aviddhaM, praviddhaM, bAhuniHsR^itam, AkaraM, vikaraM, bhinnaM, nirmaryAdam, amAnuSham, contracting (sa~NkochitaM), kulachitaM, savyajAnu (kneeling on left knee), avoiding the knee (vijAnu) as well as AhikaM, chitrakaM, kShiptaM, kusumbaM, hanging (lambanaM), supporting (dhR^itam), left hand (sarvabAhu), leaving hand (vinirbAhu), right hand (savyetaram) as well as uttaram, three arms (tribAhu), raising the arms (tu~NgabAhu), as also raising the left arm (savyonnatam), leaving (udAsi) and striking behind (pR^iShThataH), prathitaM, and also yaudhikaM as well as prathitam -
iti prAkArandvAtriMshachchakratuH khaDgayodhinau |
Thus those sword fighters (sAtyaki and Dimbhaka) fought each other in thirty two ways (of sword fighting).
punaH punaH praharantau na cha shramamupeyatuH ||3-125-21
puShkarasthau mahArAja yuddhAya kR^itanishchayau |
O great king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) Even though the two who decided to fight at puShkara, struck each other again and again, they did not feel tired at all.
tato devAH sagandharvAH siddhAshcha paramarShayaH ||3-125-22
tuShTuvustau mahArAja jaye kR^itaparishramau |
Then, O great king! (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued ) The gods along with gandharva-s, siddha-s and the foremost of the sages praised both who were trying to achieve victory, saying:
aho vIryamaho dhairyamanayorbAhushAlinoH ||3-125-23
etAveva raNe shaktau khaDge dhanushi pAragau |
O! What valiance and what courage are shown by these having powerful arms! Definitely, they are powerful as well as experts in fighting with sword as well as bow.
ekaH shiShyo girIshasya droNasyAnyo hi dhImataH ||3-125-24
One (Dimbhaka) is a disciple of the lord of the mountain (shiva) and the other (sAtyaki) is a disciple of the preceptor having great intellect, droNa.
arjunaH sAtyakishchaiva vAsudevo jagatpatiH |
traya ete mahArAja prathitAH sa~Ngare sadA ||3-125-25
(Note 1)
arjuna, satyaki as well as vAsudeva (kR^iShNa), the lord of the universe, all these three are, O great king, (janamejaya! vaishampAyana continued) always famous for expertise in battle.
DimbhakaH shaktibhR^ichCharvastraya ete mahArathAH |
prasiddhAH sarva evaite vIryeShu cha baleShu cha ||3-125-26
Dimbhaka, kArtikeya (shaktibhR^it) and sharva (shiva) - all the three great chariot fighters are famous in valiance as well as power.
(Note 2)
iti te devagandharvAH siddhA yakShA mahoragAH |
divisthitAH samaM brUyuryuddhadarshanalAlasAH ||3-125-27
The gods, gandharva-s, siddha-s, yakSha-s and the great serpents, interested in watching the battle, said so together from the sky.
iti shrImAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi haMsaDimbhakopAkhyAne sAtyakiDimbhakayuddhe pa~nchaviMshatyadhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
Thus this is the one hundred and twenty fifth lesson of bhaviShyaparva, harivaMsha, khila of mahAbhArata, in the episode of haMsa and Dimbhaka, sAtyaki - Dimbhaka battle
(Note 1):
Instead of mahArAja, gItA press has mahAvIra. With mahAvIra, instead of mahArAja, the translation will be
All these three are always famous as great valiants in battle.
mahAvIra appears appropriate since this is said by those watching the battle.

(Note 2):
shaktibhR^it = kArtikeya, see nIlakaNTha commentary.
    nIlakaNTha commentary
iti shrImahAbhArate khileShu harivaMshe bhaviShyaparvaNi TIkAyAM pa~nchaviMshatyAdhikashatatamo.adhyAyaH
##i-translated by G. Schaufelberger, schaufel @ wanadoo.fr January 30 2009
Proof-read by K S Rmachandran, ramachandran_ksr @ yahoo.ca.
If you find any errors compared to Chitrashala Press edition, send corrections to A. Harindranath harindranath_a @ yahoo.com
Translated to English by A. Purushothaman [purushothaman_avaroth @ yahoo.com] and A. Harindranath