srimahabharat -( Book 7) Drona Parva chapters 185 to 203

Vyasadev

Praneetha

The Mahabharat

Drona Parva

Book 7

SECTION CLXXXV

"Sanjaya said, 'At this time Duryodhana, under the influence of wrath, approached Drona and addressing him said these words, for inspiring him with joy and provoking his anger.'
"Duryodhana said, 'No mercy should have been shown to our foes while they were heartless and worn out with toil and taking rest, especially when they are all of sure aim. Desirous of doing what is agreeable to thee, we showed them kindness by then letting them alone. The tired Pandavas, however (having taken rest), have become stronger. As regards ourselves, we are, in every respect, losing in energy and strength. The
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[paragraph continues] Pandavas, protected by thee, are constantly gaining prosperity. All weapons that are celestial and all those that appertain to Brahma exist in thee. I tell thee truly, that neither the Pandavas, nor ourselves, nor any other bowmen in the world, can be a match for thee while thou art engaged in battle. O foremost of regenerate ones, thou art acquainted with all weapons. Without doubt, by means of thy celestial weapons thou art capable of destroying the (three) worlds with the gods, the Asuras, and the Gandharvas. The Pandavas are all afraid of thee. Thou, however, forgivest them, remembering that they were thy pupils, or, perhaps, owing to my ill luck.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus rebuked and angered by thy son, Drona, O king, wrathfully addressed Duryodhana and said these words: 'Although I am so old, O Duryodhana, I am still exerting myself in battle to the utmost extent of might. All these men are unacquainted with weapons. I am, however, well-versed in them. If, from desire of victory, I slay these men, there can be no more ignoble act for me to do. That, however, which is in thy mind, be it good or bad, I will accomplish, O Kaurava, at thy command. It will not be otherwise. Putting forth my prowess in battle and slaying all the Panchalas, I will doff my armour, O king! I swear this to thee truly. Thou thinkest that Arjuna, the son of Kunti, was worn out in battle. O mighty-armed Kaurava! Listen to what I truly say regarding his prowess. If Savyasachin's wrath is excited, neither Gandharvas, nor Yakshas nor Rakshasas can venture to bear him. At Khandavas, he encountered the divine chief of the celestials himself. The illustrious Arjuna, with his shafts baffled the pouring Indra. Yakshas, and Nagas, and Daityas, and all others proud of their might, were slain by that foremost of men. That also is known to thee. On the occasion of the tale of cattle, the Gandharvas headed by Chitrasena and others were vanquished by him. That firm bowman rescued you, while you were being carried away by those Gandharvas. Nivatakavachas also, those enemies of the celestials, that were unslayable in battle by the celestials, themselves, were vanquished by that hero. Thousands of Danavas dwelling in Hiranyapura, that tiger among men vanquished. How can human beings then withstand him? O monarch, thou hast seen with thy own eyes how this host of thine, although exerting themselves so heroically, hath been destroyed by the son of Pandu.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto Drona who was thus applauding Arjuna, thy son, O king, angered thereat, once more said these words: 'Myself and Duhsasana, and Karna, and my maternal uncle, Sakuni, dividing this Bharata host into two divisions (and taking one with us), shall to-day slay Arjuna in battle.' 'Hearing these words of his, Bharadwaja's son, laughing, sanctioned that speech of the king and said, 'Blessings to thee! What Kshatriya is there that would slay that bull amongst Kshatriyas, that unslayable one, viz., the bearer of Gandiva, that hero blazing forth with energy? Neither the Lord of treasures, nor Indra, nor Yama, nor the Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas can stay Arjuna
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armed with weapons. Only they that are fools say such words as those thou hast said, O Bharata! Who is there that would return home in safety, having encountered Arjuna in battle? As regards thyself, thou art sinful and cruel and suspicious of everybody. Even them that are employed in thy welfare, thou art ready to rebuke in this way. Go thou against the son of Kunti, for withstanding him for thy own sake. Thou art a well-born Kshatriya. Thou seekest battle. Why dost thou cause all these unoffending Kshatriyas to be slain? Thou art the root of this hostility. Therefore, go thou against Arjuna. This thy maternal uncle is possessed of wisdom and observant of Kshatriya duties. O son of Gandhari, let this one addicted to gambling proceed against Arjuna in battle. This one, skilled in dice, wedded to deception, addicted to gambling, versed in cunning and imposture, this gambler conversant with the ways of deceiving, will vanquish the Pandavas in battle! With Karna in thy company, thou hadst often joyfully boasted, from folly and emptiness of understanding, in the hearing of Dhritarashtra, saying, 'O sire, myself, and Karna, and my brother Duhsasana, these three, uniting together, will slay the sons of Pandu in battle.' This thy boast was heard in every meeting of the court. Accomplish thy vow, be truthful in speech, with them. There thy mortal foe, the son of Pandu, is staying before thee. Observe the duties of a Kshatriya. Thy slaughter at the hands of Jaya would be worthy of every praise. Thou hast practised charity. Thou hast eaten (everything ever desired by thee). Thou hast obtained wealth to the measure of thy wish. Thou hast no debts. Thou hast done all that one should do. Do not fear. Fight now with the son of Pandu.' These words said, the battle commenced.'"

SECTION CLXXXVI

"Sanjaya said, 'When three-fourths of that night had worn away, the battle, O king, once more commenced between the Kurus and the Pandavas. Both sides were elated with joy. Soon after, Aruna, the charioteer of Surya, weakening the splendour of the moon, appeared, causing the welkin to assume a coppery hue. The east was soon reddened with the red rays of the sun that resembled a circular plate of gold. Then all the warriors of the Kuru and the Pandava hosts, alighting from cars and steeds and vehicles borne by men, stood, with joined hands, facing the sun, and uttered the prayers of the twilight of dawn. The Kuru army having been divided into two bodies, Drona, with Duryodhana before him, proceeded (with one of those divisions) against the Somakas, the Pandavas, and the Panchalas. Beholding the Kuru host divided into two bodies, Madhava addressed Arjuna and said, 'Keeping thy foes to thy left, place this division (commanded by Drona) to thy right. Obedient to the counsels of Madhava in
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respect of the Kurus, Dhananjaya moved to the left of those two mighty bowmen, viz., Drona, and Karna. Understanding the intentions of Krishna, that subjugator of hostile cities, viz., Bhimasena, addressing Partha who was then staying at the van of battle, said these words.
"Bhimasena said, 'O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu, listen to these words of mine. The time for that object for which Kshatriya ladies bring forth sons has now come. If at such a time thou dost not strive to win prosperity, thou shalt then act meanly like a veritable wretch. Putting forth thy prowess, pay the debt thou owest to Truth, Prosperity, Virtue, and Fame! O foremost of warriors, pierce this division, and keep these to thy right.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus urged by Bhima and Kesava, Savyasachin prevailing over Drona and Karna, began to resist the foe all round. Many foremost of Kshatriyas (among the Kurus), putting forth all their prowess, failed to withstand Arjuna who advanced at the very van of his troops, and who, like a raging conflagration, was consuming the foremost ones among his foes. Then Duryodhana and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, covered Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, with showers of shafts. Baffling the weapons of all those warriors, that foremost of all persons well-skilled in weapons, O monarch, covered them (in return) with his shafts. Aiming at their weapons with his (and thus baffling them all), Arjuna, endued with great lightness of hand and possessing a complete control over his senses, pierced every one of those warriors with ten keen-pointed shafts. The welkin was then covered with dust. Thick showers of arrows fell. Darkness set in, and a loud and terrible uproar arose. When such was the state of things, neither the welkin, nor the earth, nor the points of the compass, could any longer be seen. Stupefied by the dust, all the troops became blind. Neither the foe, O king, nor we, could distinguish each other. For this reason, the kings began to fight, guided by conjecture and the names they uttered. Deprived of their cars, car-warriors, O king, encountering one another, lost all order and became a tangled mass. Their steeds killed and drivers slain, many of them, becoming inactive, preserved their lives and looked exceedingly affrighted. Slain steeds with riders deprived of lives were seen to lie on slain elephants as if stretched on mountain-breasts. Then Drona, moving away from that battle towards the north took up his station there., and seemed to resemble a smokeless fire. Beholding him move away from the battle towards the north, the Pandava troops, O king, began to tremble. Indeed, beholding Drona resplendent and handsome and blazing with energy, the enemy, inspired with fright became pale and wavered on the field, O Bharata! While summoning the hostile army to battle, and looking like an elephant in rut, the enemy became perfectly hopeless of vanquishing him, like the Danavas hopeless of vanquishing Vasava. Some among them became perfectly cheerless, and some, endued with energy, became inspired with wrath. And some were filled with wonder, and some became incapable of brooking (the challenge). And some of the kings squeezed their hands, and some deprived of their senses by rage, bit their lips. And some whirled
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their weapons, and some rubbed their arms; and some, possessed of great energy and souls under complete control, rushed against Drona. The Panchalas particularly, afflicted with the shafts of Drona, O monarch, though suffering great pain, continued to contend in battle. 1 Then Drupada and Virata proceeded, in that battle, against Drona, that invincible warrior, who was thus careering on the field. Then, O king, the three grandsons of Drupada, and those mighty bowmen, viz., the Chedis, also proceeded against Drona in that encounter. Drona, with three sharp shafts, took the lives of the three grandsons of Drupada. Deprived of lives, the princes fell down on the earth. Drona next vanquished in that battle the Chedis, the Kaikeyas, and the Srinjayas. That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, then vanquished all Matsyas. Then Drupada, filled with wrath, and Virata, in that battle, shot showers of shafts, O king, at Drona. Baffling that arrowy shower, Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, covered both Drupada and Virata with his shafts. Shrouded by Drona, both those warriors, with rage, began to pierce him on the field of battle with their arrows. Then Drona, O monarch, filled with wrath and desire of revenge, cut off, with a couple of broad-headed shafts, the bows of both his antagonists. Then Virata, filled with wrath, sped in that encounter ten lances and ten shafts at Drona from desire of slaying him. And Drupada, in anger, hurled at Drona's car a terrible dart made of iron and decked with gold and resembling a large snake. Drona cut off, with a number of sharp and broad-headed arrows, those ten lances (of Virata), and with certain other shafts that dart (of Drupada) decked with gold and stones of lapis lazuli. Then that grinder of foes, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, with a couple of well-tempered and broad-headed shafts, despatched both Drupada and Virata unto the abode of Yama. Upon the fall of Virata and Drupada, and the slaughter of the Kshatriyas, the Chedis, the Matsyas, and the Panchalas, and upon the fall of those three heroes, viz., the three grandsons of Drupada, the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna, beholding those feats of Drona, became filled with rage and grief, and swore in the midst of all the ear-warriors, saying, 'Let me lose merits of all my religious acts as also my Kshatriya and Brahma energy, if Drona escape me today with life, or if he succeed in vanquishing me!' 2 Having taken that oath in the midst of all the bowmen, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the prince of the Panchalas, supported by his own division, advanced against Drona. The Panchalas then began to strike Drona from one side, and Arjuna from another. Duryodhana, and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and the uterine brothers of Duryodhana (stationed), according to their precedence, began to protect Drona in battle. Drona being thus protected in battle by those illustrious warriors, the Panchalas though struggling vigorously, could not
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even gaze at him. Then Bhimasena, O sire, became highly angry with Dhrishtadyumna and, O bull among men, that son of Pandu pierced Dhrishtadyumna with these fierce words: 1
"Bhimasena said, 'What man is there who being regarded as a Kshatriya and who taking his birth in the race of Drupada and who being the foremost of all persons possessing a knowledge of weapons, would only thus look at his foe stationed before him? What man having seen his sire and son slain, and especially, having sworn such an oath in the midst of the king, would thus be indifferent to his enemy? Yonder stands Drona like a fire swelling with its own energy. Indeed, with bow and arrows constituting his fuel, he is consuming with his energy all the Kshatriyas. Soon will he annihilate the Pandava army. Stand ye (as spectators) and behold my feat. Against Drona himself will I proceed. Having said these words, Vrikodara, filled with rage, penetrated into Drona's array, began to afflict and rout that host. Then the Panchalaprince Dhrishtadyumna, also, penetrating into that large host, engaged himself with Drona in battle. The battle became furious. Such a fierce encounter we had never seen or heard of before, O king, as that which now took place at sunrise of that day. The cars, O sire, were seen to be entangled with one another. The bodies of embodied creatures deprived of lives were scattered all over the field. Some, while proceeding towards another part of the field, were, on the way, assailed by others. Some, while flying away, were struck on their backs, and others on their sides. That general engagement continued to rage fiercely. Soon, however, the morning sun rose.'

SECTION CLXXXVII

"Sanjaya continued, 'The warrior, O king, thus clad in mail on the field of battle, adored the thousand-rayed Aditya as he rose at morn. When the thousand-rayed luminary, of splendour bright, as burning gold, arose, and the world became illumined, the battle once more commenced. The same soldiers that were engaged with each other before the sunrise, once more fought with each other, O Bharata, after, the rise of the sun. Horsemen engaged with car-warriors, and elephants with horsemen, and foot-soldiers with elephants and horsemen with horsemen, O bull of Bharata's race. Sometimes, unitedly and sometimes separately, the warriors, fell upon one another in battle. Having fought vigorously in the night, many, tired with exertion, and weak with hunger and thirst became deprived of their senses. The uproar made of the blare of conchs, the beat of drums,
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the roar of elephants, and the twang of out-stretched bows drawn with force touched the very heavens, O king! The noise made also by rushing infantry and falling weapons, and neighing steeds and rolling cars, and shouting and roaring of warriors, became tremendous. That loud noise increasing every minute, reached the heavens. The groans and wails of pain, on falling and fallen foot-soldiers and car-warriors and elephants, became exceedingly loud and pitiable as these were heard on the field. When the engagement became general, both side slew each other's own men and animals. Hurled from the hands of heroes upon warriors and elephants, heaps of swords were seen on the field, resembling heaps of cloths on the washing ground. The sound, again, of uplifted and descending swords in heroic arms resembled that of cloths thrashed for wash. That general engagement then, in which the warriors encountered one another with swords and scimitars and lances and battle-axes, became exceedingly dreadful. The heroic combatants caused a river there, that ran its course towards the regions of the dead. The blood of elephants and steeds and human beings formed its current. Weapons formed its fish in profusion. It was miry with blood and flesh. Wails of grief and pain formed its roar. Banners and cloth formed its froth. Afflicted with shafts and darts, worn with exertion, spent with toil on the (previous) night, and exceedingly weakened, elephants and steeds, with limbs perfectly motionless, stood on the field. With their arms (in beautiful attitudes) and with their beautiful coats of mail, and heads decked with beautiful ear-rings, the warriors, adorned with implements of battle, looked exceedingly resplendent. 1 At that time, in consequence of the carnivorous animals and the dead and the dying, there was no path for the cars all over the field. Afflicted with shafts steeds of the noblest breed and high mettle, resembling elephants (in size and strength), worn out with toil, were seen to tremble with great effort, as they drew vehicles whose wheels had sunk in the earth. The whole of that host, O Bharata, resembling the ocean for vastness, then became agitated, and afflicted, inspired with terror, with the exception only of Drona and Arjuna. Those two became the refuge, these two became the saviours, of the warriors of their respective sides. Others, encountering these two proceeded to the abode of Yama. Then the vast host of the Kurus became greatly agitated, and the Panchalas, huddled together, became no longer distinguishable. During that great carnage of the Kshatriyas on earth, on that field of battle, enhancing the terrors of the timid and looking like a crematorium neither Karna, nor Drona, nor Arjuna, nor Yudhishthira, nor Bhimasena, nor the twins, nor the Panchala prince, nor Satyaki, nor Duhsasana, nor Drona's son, nor Duryodhana nor Suvala's son, nor Kripa, nor the ruler of the Madras, nor Kritavarman, nor others, nor my own self, nor the earth, nor points of the compass, could be seen, O king, for all of them, mingled with the troops, were shrouded by clouds of dust. During the
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progress of that fierce and terrible battle, when that dusty cloud arose, all thought that night had once more come over the scene. Neither the Kauravas, nor the Panchalas, nor the Pandavas, could be distinguished, nor the points of the compass, nor the welkin, nor the earth, nor even land nor uneven land. The warriors, desirous of victory, slew foes and friends, in fact, all whom they could perceive by the touch of their hands. The earthly dust that had arisen was soon dispelled by the winds that blew, and drenched by the blood that was shed. Elephants and steeds and car-warriors and foot-soldiers, bathed in blood, looked beautiful like the (celestial) forest of Parijata. Then Duryodhana, Karna, Drona and Duhsasana, these four (Kauravas) warriors engaged in battle with four of the Pandava warriors, Duryodhana and his brothers, encountered the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva). And Radha's son engaged himself with Vrikodara, and Arjuna with the son of Bharadwaja, all the troops, from every side, looked on that terrible encounter. The car-warriors (of both armies quietly) beheld that beautiful, that superhuman engagement between those fierce and foremost of car-warriors conversant with every mode of warfare, riding on their own beautiful cars that performed diverse delightful evolutions. Endued with great prowess, struggling vigorously, and each solicitous of vanquishing the other, they covered each other with showers of shafts, like the clouds at the close of summer (pouring torrents of rain). Those bulls among men, riding on their cars of solar effulgence, looked beautiful like congregated masses of clouds in the autumnal sky. Then those warriors, O monarch, filled with wrath and desire of revenge, mighty bowmen all, challenging, rushed at one another with great vigour like infuriated leaders of elephantine herds. Verily, O king, death does not take place till its hour comes, since all those warriors did not simultaneously perish in that battle. Strewn with lopped off arms and legs, and heads decked with beautiful ear-rings, and bows and arrows and lances and scimitars and battle-axes and (other kinds of) axes, and Nalihas and razor-headed arrows and cloth-yard shafts and darts and diverse kinds of beautiful armour, and beautiful cars broken into pieces, and slain elephants and standardless cars broken like cities, and vehicles dragged hither and thither with the speed of the wind by driverless steeds in great fright, and a large number of well-decked warriors of great courage, and fallen fans and coats of mail and standards, and ornaments and robes and fragrant garlands, and chains of gold and diadems and crowns and head-gears and rows of bells, and jewels worn on breasts, and cuirasses and collars and gems that adorn head-gears, the field of battle looked beautiful like the firmament bespangled with stars.'
'Then there occured an encounter between Duryodhana, filled with wrath and desire of revenge, and Nakula filled with the same feelings. Madri's son cheerfully shooting hundreds of shafts, placed thy son on his right. At this loud cheers were bestowed upon him. Placed on the right by his cousin-brother in wrath, thy son king Duryodhana, filled with rage, began, in battle, to wonderfully counteract Nakula from that very side.
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[paragraph continues] Thereupon, Nakula, endued with great energy and acquainted with the diverse course (in which a car may be conducted), began to resist thy son who was engaged in counteracting him from his right. Duryodhana, however, afflicting Nakula with showers of shafts and resisting him on every side, caused him to turn back. All the troops applauded that feat (of thy son). Then Nakula, addressing thy son, said, 'Wait, Wait, recollecting all his woes caused by thy evil counsels.'"

Section CLXXXIX was not found in the source edition. We believe that the publisher of the source edition simply did not insert a section break for this, as CLXXXIX shows up in the running page heads on page 439. Hence the section numbering in our etext jumps from CLXXXVIII to CXC at this point. We believe that no actual text is missing.--JBH.

SECTION CLXXXVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Duhsasana, filled with wrath, rushed against Sahadeva, causing the earth to tremble with the fierce speed of his car, O Madri's son, however, that crusher of foes, with a broad-headed arrow, quickly cut of the head, decked with the head-gear of his rushing antagonist's driver. From the celerity with which that act was accomplished by Sahadeva, neither Duhsasana nor any of the troops knew that the driver's head had been cut off. The reins being no longer held by anybody, the steeds ran at their will. It was then that Duhsasana knew that his driver had been slain. Conversant with the management of steeds, that foremost of car-warriors, himself restraining his steeds in that battle fought beautifully and with great activity and skill. That feat of his was applauded by friends and foes, since riding on that driverless car, he careered fearlessly in that battle. Then Sahadeva pierced those steeds with keen shafts. Afflicted with those shafts, they quickly ran away, careering hither and thither. For catching hold of the reins, he once laid aside his bow, and then he took up his bow for using it, lying aside the reins. During those opportunities the son of Madri covered him with arrows. Then Karna, desirous of rescuing thy son, rushed to that spot. Thereupon, Vrikodara, with great care, pierced Karna in the chest and arms with three broad-headed shafts sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Struck with those shafts like a snake with a stick, Karna stopped and began to resist Bhimasena, shooting keen shafts. Thereupon, a fierce battle took place between Bhima and Radha's son. Both of them roared like bulls, and the eyes of both were expanded (with rage). Excited with wrath, and rushing towards each other, with great speed, they roared at each other. Those two delighters, in battle were then very close to each other. So near were they that they could not easily shoot their shafts at each other. Thereupon, an encounter with maces happened. Bhimasena speedily broke with his mace the Kuvara of Karna's car. That feat of his, O king, seemed highly wonderful. Then the valiant son of Radha, taking up a mace, hurled it at Bhima's car. Bhima, however, broke it with the mace of his own. Then taking up a heavy mace, once more, Bhima
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hurled it at Adhiratha's son. Karna struck that mace with numerous shafts of beautiful wings, sped with great force, and once again with other shafts, Thus struck with Karna's shafts, the mace turned back towards Bhima, like a snake afflicted with incantations. With the rebound of that mace, the huge standard of Bhima, broke and fell down. Struck with that same mace, Bhima's driver also became deprived of his senses. Then Bhima, mad with rage, sped eight shafts at Karna, and his standard and bow, and leathern fence, O Bharata. The mighty Bhimasena, that slayer of hostile heroes, with the greatest care, O Bharata, cut off, with those keen shafts, the standards, the bow, and the leathern fence of Karna. The latter then, viz., the son of Radha, taking up another invincible and gold-decked bow, shot a number of shafts, and quickly slew Bhima's steeds of the hue of bears, and then his two drivers. When his car was thus injured, Bhima, that chastiser of foes, quickly jumped into the car of Nakula like a lion jumping down upon a mountain summit.'
"Meanwhile, Drona and Arjuna, those two foremost of car-warriors, preceptor and pupil, both skilled in weapon, O monarch, fought with each other in battle, stupefying the eyes and minds of men with their lightness in the use of weapons and the sureness of their aim, and with the motions of their cars. Beholding that battle, the like of which had never been witnessed before, between preceptor and pupil, the other warriors abstained from fighting with each other and trembled. Each of those heroes, displaying beautiful revolutions of his car, wished to place the other on his right. The warriors present there beheld their prowess and became filled with wonder. Indeed, that great battle between Drona and the son of Pandu resembled that, O monarch, between a couple of hawks in the welkin for the sake of a piece of meat. Whatever feats Drona performed for vanquishing the son of Kunti, were all counteracted by Arjuna's performing similar feats. When Drona failed to gain any ascendency over the son of Pandu, the son of Bharadwaja, that warrior acquainted with the course of all weapons, invoked into existence the Aindra, the Pasupata, the Tvashtra, the Vayavya, and the Yamya weapons. As soon as those weapons, issued from Drona's bow, Dhananjaya destroyed them quickly. When his weapons were thus duly destroyed by Arjuna with his own weapons, Drona shrouded the son of Pandu with the mightiest of celestial weapons. Every weapon, however, that Drona shot at Partha from desire of vanquishing the latter, was shot by Partha in return for baffling it. Seeing all his weapons, even the celestial ones, duly baffled by Arjuna, Drona applauded the latter in his heart. That chastiser of foes, O Bharata, regarded himself superior to every person in the world acquainted with weapons, in consequence of Arjuna having been his pupil. Thus resisted by Partha in the midst of all those illustrious warriors, Drona, struggling with vigour, cheerfully resisted Arjuna (in return), wondering all the while. Then the celestials and Gandharvas in thousands, and Rishis and bodies of Siddhas, were seen on all sides in the welkin. Filled with (those as also with) Apsaras and Yakshas and Rakshasas, it once more seemed that the welkin
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was darkened by gathering clouds. An invisible voice, fraught with the praises of Drona and the high-souled Partha, was heard to repeatedly course through the firmament. When in consequence of the weapons shot by Drona and Partha all sides seemed ablaze with light, the Siddhas and the Rishis that were present, said, 'This is no human nor Asura, nor Rakshasa, nor celestial, nor Gandharva battle. Without doubt this is a high Brahma encounter. This battle is exceedingly beautiful and highly wonderful. We have never seen or heard of its like. Now, the preceptor prevails over the son of Pandu, and then the son of Pandu prevails over Drona. No one can find any difference between them. If Rudra, dividing his own self into two portions, fights, himself with himself, then may an instance be had to match this. Nowhere else can an instance be found to match it. Science, gathered in one place, exists in the preceptor; science and means are in the son of Pandu. Heroism, in one place, is in Drona; heroism and might are in the son of Pandu. None of these warriors can be withstood by foes in battle. If they wish, both of them can destroy the universe with the gods. Beholding those two bulls among men, all invisible and visible creatures said these words. The high-souled Drona then, in that battle, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon, afflicting Partha and all invisible beings. Thereupon, the earth with the mountains and waters and trees trembled. Fierce winds began to blow. The seas swelled in agitation. The combatants of the Kurus and the Pandava armies, as also all other creatures, became inspired with fear, when that illustrious warrior uplifted that weapon. The Partha, O monarch, fearlessly baffled that weapon by a Brahma weapon of his own, at which all that agitation in nature was speedily pacified. At last, when none of them could vanquish his antagonist in combat, a general engagement took place between the hosts, causing a great confusion on the field. During the progress of that dreadful battle between Drona and the son of Pandu (as also of that general engagement), once more, O king, nothing could be distinguished. The welkin became covered with dense showers of shafts, as if with masses of clouds, and creatures ranging in the air could no longer find a passage through their element."

SECTION CXC

"Sanjaya said, 'During that fearful carnage of men and steeds and elephants, Duhsasana, O king, encountered Dhrishtadyumna. Mounted upon hi, golden car and exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Duhsasana, the Panchala prince wrathfully showered his shafts upon thy son's steeds. Covered with the shafts of Prishata's son, O king, Duhsasana's car, with standard and driver, soon became invisible. Afflicted with those showers
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of arrows, Duhsasana, O monarch, became unable to stay before the illustrious prince of the Panchalas. Forcing, by means of his shafts, Duhsasana to turn back Pritha's son, scattering his arrows, proceeded against Drona in that battle. At the time Hridika's son, Kritavarman, with three of his uterine brothers, appeared on the scene and attempted to oppose Dhrishtadyumna. Those bulls among men, however, viz., the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva following in the wake of Dhrishtadyumna who was thus proceeding like a blazing fire towards Drona, began to protect him. Then, all those great car-warriors, endued with might and excited with rage, began to strike one another, making death their goal. Of pure souls and pure conduct, O king, and keeping heaven in view, they fought according to righteous methods, desirous of vanquishing one another. Of stainless lineage and stainless acts, and endued with great intelligence, those rulers of men, keeping heaven in view, fought fair battles with another. There was nothing unfair in that fight and no weapon was used that was regarded as unfair. No barbed arrows, nor those called nalikas, nor those that are poisoned, nor those with heads, made of horns, nor those equipped with many pointed heads, nor those made of the bones of bulls and elephants, nor those having two heads, nor those having rusty heads, nor those that are not straight going, were used by any of them. 1 All of them used simple and fair weapons and desired to win both fame and region of great blessedness by fighting fairly. Between those four warriors of thy army and those three of the Pandava side, the battle that took place was exceedingly dreadful but divested of everything unfair. Then Dhrishtadyumna, exceedingly quick in the use of weapons, beholding those brave and mighty car warriors of thy army checked by the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), proceeded towards Drona. Checked by those two lions among men, those four heroic warriors encountered the former like the wind assailing a couple of mountains (standing on their way). Each of the twins--those great car-warriors--was engaged with a couple of arrows against Drona. Beholding the invincible prince of the Panchalas proceeding against Drona, and those four heroes (of his own army) engaged with the twins, Duryodhana, O monarch, rushed to that spot, scattering showers of blood-drinking arrows. Seeing this, Satyaki quickly approached the Kuru king. Those two tigers among men, viz., the two descendants of Kuru and Madhu, approaching each other, became desirous of striking each other in battle. Recalling to mind their behaviour towards each other in childhood and reflecting with pleasure on the same, they gazed at each other and smiled repeatedly. 'Then king Duryodhana (mentally), blaming his own conduct, addressed his ever dear friend Satyaki, and said, 'Fie on wrath, O friend, and fie on vindictiveness! Fie on Kshatriya usage, and fie on might and prowess, since thou aimest thy weapons at me, and I too am aiming at thee, O bull of Sini's
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race! In those days thou wert dearer to me than life itself, and I also was such to thee! Alas, all those acts of childhood that I remember, of both thyself and mine, became quite insignificant in the field of battle! Alas, moved by wrath and convetousness, we are here to-day for fighting against each other, O thou of the Satwata race!' Unto him who said those words, O king, Satyaki, conversant with high weapons, taking up some keen arrows, smilingly replied, 'This is no assembly, O prince, nor the abode of our preceptor, where in former days we sported together.' Duryodhana answered, 'Where have those sports of our childhood gone, O bull of Sini's race, and, alas, how has this battle now come upon us? It seems that the influence of Time is irresistible. (Urged though we are) by desire of wealth, what use, however, have we of wealth that, assembled together, we are now engaged in battle, moved by the avarice of wealth.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Unto king Duryodhana who said so, Satyaki replied, 'This has always been the usage of the Kshatriyas that they have to fight even against their preceptors. If I am dear to thee, O king, then slay me without any delay. Through thee, O bull of Bharata's race, I shall then enter the region of the righteous. Exhibit, without delay, all thy might and prowess. I do not desire to witness this great calamity of friends.' Having replied and reasoned thus, Satyaki, O monarch, fearlessly and in utter disregard of life, quickly advanced against Duryodhana. Beholding him advance, thy son received him; indeed, O king, thy son poured on him of Sini's race a perfect shower of arrows. Then commenced a terrible battle between those lions of Kuru's and Madhu's races, resembling an encounter between an elephant and a lion. Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, pierced the invincible Satyaki with many keen arrows, shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Satyaki quickly pierced the Kuru prince in return with fifty keen shafts in that battle and once more with twenty, and again with ten shafts. Then, in that encounter, O king, thy son, smiling the while, pierced Satyaki in return with thirty arrows shot from his bowstring drawn to his ear. Shooting then a razor-headed arrow, he cut off in twain the bow, with arrow fixed thereon, of Satyaki. Endued with great lightness of hand, the latter then, taking up a tougher bow, shot showers of shafts at thy son. As those lines of arrows advanced for compassing the death of Duryodhana, the latter, O king, cut them in pieces, at which the troops shouted loudly. With great swiftness, the Kuru king afflicted Satyaki with three and seventy shafts, equipped with wings of gold and steeped in oil and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. All those arrows of Duryodhana, as also his bow, with arrow fixed thereon, Satyaki quickly cut off. The Satwata hero then poured showers of shafts on his antagonist. Deeply pierced by Satyaki and feeling great pain, Duryodhana, O king, in great distress, sought shelter in another car. Having rested awhile and refreshed himself, thy son once more advanced against Satyaki, shooting showers of shafts at the latter's car. Smilingly, O king, Satyaki ceaselessly shot multitudes of shafts at Duryodhana's car.
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[paragraph continues] The shafts of both mingled with one another in the welkin. In consequence of those arrows thus shot by both, falling fast on every side, loud sounds, like those of a raging fire consuming a mighty forest, arose there. With thousands of arrows shot by both, the earth was densely covered. The welkin also became filled therewith. Beholding then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., that hero of Madhu's race, to be mightier than Duryodhana, Karna rushed to that spot, desirous of rescuing thy son. Mighty Bhimasena, however, could not brook that attempt of Karna. He, therefore, quickly proceeded against Karna, shooting innumerable shafts. Cutting off all those shafts of Bhima with the greatest ease, Karna cut off Bhima's bow, arrows and driver also, with his own shafts. Then, Pandu's son, Bhima, filled with rage, took up a mace and crushed the bow, standard, and driver of his antagonist in that encounter. The mighty Bhima also broke one of the wheels of Karna's car. Karna, however, stood on that car of his, which had one of his wheels broken, immovable as (Meru), the king of mountains. That beautiful car of his which had now only one wheel, was borne by his steeds, like the single wheeled car of Surya, drawn by the seven celestial steeds. Incapable of brooking the feats of Bhimasena, Karna continued to fight with the latter, using diverse kinds of shafts in profusion and diverse kinds of other weapons in that encounter. Bhimasena also filled with wrath, continued to fight with the Suta's son. When the engagement became general ant confused, (Yudhishthira) the son of Dharma, addressing all the foremost of warriors among the Panchalas and the Matsyas, said, 'They that are our life, they that are our heads, they amongst us that are endued with great strength, those bulls among men are all engaged with the Dhartarashtras. Why do ye then stand thus, as if stupefied and deprived of your senses? Proceed thither where those car-warriors of my army are fighting. Driving away your fears and keeping in view the duties of Kshatriyas (engage in fight), for then conquering or slain ye will gain desirable goals. If you prove victors, you may perform diverse sacrifices with profuse gifts to Brahmanas. If, on the other hand, you are slain, becoming then equals of the celestials, you will win many regions of blessedness. Thus urged by the king, those heroic and mighty car-warriors engaged in battle, observant of Kshatriya duties, quickly proceeded against Drona. The Panchalas then, from one side, assailed Drona with innumerable arrows, while others headed by Bhimasena began to resist him from another side. The Pandavas had three crooked-minded mighty car-warriors amongst them. They were Bhimasena and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva). These addressed Dhananjaya loudly and said, 'Rush, O Arjuna, with speed and drive away the Kurus from Drona's vicinity. If the preceptor can be derived of his protectors, the Panchalas may then slay him easily.' Thus addressed, Partha suddenly rushed against the Kauravas, while Drona rushed against the Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna. Indeed, on that the fifth day (of Drona's command) those heroic combatants, O Bharata, were grounded and crushed with great-celerity (by Bharadwaja's son.)"

SECTION CXCI

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona caused a great carnage among the Panchalas, like the slaughter caused by Sakra himself in rage amongst the Danavas in the days of yore. The great car-warriors of the Pandava army, endued with might and energy, though slaughtered, O king, by Drona's weapons, were not yet afraid of Drona in that battle. Indeed, O monarch, those mighty car-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the Srinjayas, all rushed against Drona himself, for fighting with him. Loud and fierce were the yells they uttered as they rushed towards Drona for encompassing him on all sides and were slaughtered by him with shafts and darts. Beholding the slaughter of the Panchalas in that battle by the illustrious Drona, and seeing his, weapons overwhelm all sides, fear entered the hearts of the Pandavas. Beholding that dreadful carnage of steeds and human beings in that battle, the Pandavas, O monarch, became hopeless of victory. (They began to say unto each other) 'Is it not evident that Drona, that warrior conversant with the mightiest of weapons, will consume us all like a raging conflagration consuming a heap of straw in the season of spring? There is none competent to even look at him in battle. Conversant with the ways of morality, Arjuna (who alone is a match for him) will not fight with him.' Beholding the sons of Kunti afflicted with the shafts of Drona and inspired with fear, Kesava, endued with great intelligence and, devoted to their welfare, addressed Arjuna and said, 'This foremost of all bowmen is incapable of being ever vanquished by force in battle, by the very gods with Vasava at their head. When, however, he lays aside his weapons, he becomes capable of being slain on the field even by human beings. Casting aside virtue, ye sons of Pandu, adopt now some contrivance for gaining the victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not slay us all in battle. Upon the full of (his son) Aswatthaman he will cease to fight, I think. Let sonic man, therefore, tell him that Aswatthaman, hath been slain in battle.' This advice, however, O kin was not approved by Kunti's son, Dhananjaya. Others approved of it. But Yudhishthira accepted it with great difficulty. Then the mighty-armed Bhima, O king, slew with a mace a foe-crushing, terrible and huge elephant named Aswatthaman, of his own army, belonging to Indravarman, the chief of the Malavas. Approaching Drona then in that battle with some bashfulness Bhimasena began to exclaim aloud, 'Aswatthaman hath been slain.' That elephant named Aswatthaman having been thus slain, Bhima spoke of Aswatthaman's slaughter. Keeping the true fact within his mind, he said what was untrue, Hearing those highly disagreeable words of Bhima and reflecting upon them, Drona's limbs seemed to dissolve like sands in water. Recollecting however, the prowess of his son, he soon came to regard that intelligence as false. Hearing, therefore, of his slaughter, Drona did not become unmanned. Indeed, soon recovering his senses, he became comforted, remembering that his son was incapable of being resisted by foes. Rushing towards the son of Prishata
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and desirous of slaying that hero who had been ordained as his slayer, he covered him with a thousand keen shafts, equipped with kanka feathers. Then twenty thousand Panchala car-warriors of great energy covered him, while he was thus careering in battle, with their shafts. Completely shrouded with those shafts, we could not any longer see that great car-warrior who then resembled, O monarch, the sun, covered with clouds in the season of rains. Filled with wrath and desirous of compassing the destruction of those brave Panchalas, that mighty car-warrior, that scorcher of foes, viz., Drona, dispelling all those shafts of the Panchalas, then invoked into existence the Brahma weapon. At that time, Drona looked resplendent like a smokeless, blazing fire. Once more filled with rage the valiant son of Bharadwaja slaughtering all the Somakas, seemed to be invested with great splendour. In that dreadful battle, he felled the heads of the Panchalas and cut off their massive arms, looking like spiked maces and decked with golden ornaments. Indeed, those Kshatriyas, slaughtered in battle by Bharadwaja's son fell down on the earth and lay scattered like trees uprooted by the tempest. In consequence of fallen elephants and steeds, O Bharata, the earth, miry with flesh and blood, became impassable. Having slain twenty thousand Panchala car-warriors, Drona, in that battle, shone resplendent like a smokeless, blazing fire. Once more filled with rage, the valiant son of Bharadwaja cut off, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of Vasudana from his trunk. Once more slaying five hundred Matsyas, and six thousand elephants, he slew ten thousand steeds. Beholding Drona stationed on the field for the extermination of the Kshatriya race, the Rishis Viswamitra, and Jamadagni, and Bharadwaja, and Gautama, and Vasishtha, and Kasyapa, and Atri, and the Srikatas, the Prisnis, Garga, the Valkhilyas, the Marichis, the descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, and diverse other sages of subtle forms quickly came thither, with the Bearer of sacrificial libations at their head, and, desirous of taking Drona unto the region of Brahman, addressed Drona, that ornament of battle, and said, 'Thou art fighting unrighteously. The hour of thy death is come. Laying aside thy weapons in battle, O Drona, behold us stationed here. After this, it behoveth thee not to perpetrate such exceedingly cruel deeds. Thou art versed in the Vedas and their branches. Thou art devoted to the duties enjoined by truth, especially, thou art a Brahmana. Such acts do not become thee. Lay aside thy weapons. Drive away the film of error that shrouds thee. Adhere now to the eternal path. The period for which thou art to dwell in the world of men is now full. Thou hast, with the Brahma weapon, burnt men on earth that are unacquainted with weapons. This act that thou hast perpetrated, O regenerate one, is not righteous. Lay aside thy weapons in battle without delay, O Drona, do not wait longer on earth. Do not, O regenerate one, perpetrate such a sinful act.' Hearing these words of their as also those spoken by Bhimasena, and beholding Dhrishtadyumna before him, Drona became exceedingly cheerless in battle. Burning with grief and exceedingly afflicted, he enquired of Kunti's son Yudhishthira
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as to whether his son (Aswatthaman) had been slain or not. Drona firmly believed that Yudhishthira would never speak an untruth even for the sake of the sovereignty of the three worlds. For this reason, that bull among Brahmanas asked Yudhishthira and not any body else. He had hoped for truth from Yudhishthira from the latter's infancy.
"Meanwhile, O monarch, Govinda, knowing that Drona, that foremost of warriors, was capable of sweeping all the Pandavas off the face of the earth, became much distressed. Addressing Yudhishthira he said, 'If Drona fighteth, filled with rage, for even half-a-day, I tell thee truly, thy army will then be annihilated. Save us, then, from Drona. under such circumstances, falsehood is better than truth. By telling an untruth for saving a life, one is not touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth spoken unto women, or in marriages, or for saving king, or for rescuing a Brahmana.' 1 While Govinda and Yudhishthira were thus talking with each other, Bhimasena (addressing the king) said, 'As soon, O monarch, as I heard of the means by which the high-souled Drona might be slain, putting forth my prowess in battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant, like unto the elephant of Sakra himself, belonging to Indravarman, the chief of the Malavas, who was standing within thy army. I then went to Drona and told him, 'Aswatthaman has been slain, O Brahmana! Cease, then, to fight. Verily, O bull among men, the preceptor did not believe in the truth of words. Desirous of victory as thou art, accept the advice of Govinda. Tell Drona, O King, that the son of Saradwat's daughter is no more. Told by thee, that bull among Brahmanas will never fight. Thou, O ruler of men, art reputed to be truthful in the three worlds.' Hearing those words of Bhima and induced by the counsels of Krishna, and owing also to the inevitability of destiny, O monarch, Yudhishthira made up his mind to say what he desired. Fearing to utter an untruth, but earnestly desirous of victory, Yudhishthira distinctly said that Aswatthaman was dead, adding indistinctly the world elephant (after the name), Before this, Yudhishthira's car had stayed at a height of four fingers' breadth from the surface of the earth; after, however, he had said that untruth, his (vehicle and) animals touched the earth. Hearing those words from Yudhishthira, the mighty car-warrior Drona, afflicted with grief, for the (supposed) death of his son, yielded to the influence of despair. By the words, again, of the Rishis, he regarded himself a great offender against the high-souled Pandavas. Hearing now about the death of his son, he became perfectly cheerless and filled with anxiety; upon beholding Dhrishtadyumna, O king, that chastiser of foes could not fight as before.'"

SECTION CXCII

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Drona filled with great anxiety and almost deprived of his senses by grief, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala king, rushed at him. That hero had, for the destruction of Drona, been obtained by Drupada, that ruler of men, at a great sacrifice, from the Bearer of sacrificial libations. Desirous of slaying Drona, he now took up a victory-giving and formidable bow whose twang resembled the roll of the clouds, whose string was possessed of great strength, and which was irrefragable and celestial. And he fixed on it a fierce arrow, resembling a snake of virulent poison and possessed of the splendour of fire. That arrow, resembling a fire of fierce flame, while within the circle of his bow, looked like the autumnal sun of great splendour within a radiant circle. Beholding that blazing bow bent with force by Prishata's son, the troops regarded that to be the last hour (of the world). Seeing that arrow aimed at him, the valiant son of Bharadwaja thought that the last hour of his body had come. The preceptor prepared with care to baffle that shaft. The weapons, however, of that high-souled one, O monarch, no longer appeared at his bidding. 1 His weapons had not been exhausted although he had shot them ceaselessly for four days and one night. On the expiry, however, of the third part of that of the fifth day, his arrows became exhausted. Seeing the exhaustion of his arrows and afflicted with grief on account of his son's death, and in consequence also of the unwillingness of the celestial weapons to appear at his bidding, he desired to lay aside his weapons, as requested by the words of the Rishis also. Though filled with great energy, he could not however, fight as before. Then taking up another celestial bow that Angiras had given him, and certain arrows that resembled a Brahmana's curse, he continued to fight with Dhrishtadyumna. He covered the Panchala prince with a thick shower of arrows, and filled with rage, mangled his angry antagonist. With his own keen shafts he cut off in a hundred fragments those of the prince as also the latter's standard and bow. He then his antagonist's driver. Then Dhrishtadyumna, smiling, took up another bow, and pierced Drona with a keen shaft in the centre of the chest. Deeply pierced therewith and losing his self-possession in that encounter, that mighty bowman, then, with a sharp and broad-headed arrow, once more cut off Dhrishtadyumna's bow. Indeed, the invincible Drona then cut off all the weapons, O king, and all the bows that his antagonist had, with the exception only of his mace and sword. Filled with rage, he then pierced the angry Dhrishtadyumna, O chastiser of foes, nine keen arrows, capable of taking the life of every foe. Then the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, of immeasurable soul, invoking into existence the Brahma weapon, caused the steeds of his own car to be mingled with those of his foes. Endued with the speed of
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the wind, those steeds that were red and of the hue of pigeons, O bull of Bharata's race, thus mingled together, looked exceedingly beautiful. Indeed, O king, those steeds thus mingled together on the field of battle, looked beautiful like roaring clouds in the season of rains, charged with lightning. Then that twice-born one of immeasurable soul cut off the shaft-joints, the wheel-joints, and (other) car-joints of Dhrishtadyumna. Deprived of his bow, and made carless and steedless and driverless, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, fallen into great distress, grasped a mace. Filled with rage, the mighty car-warrior, Drona, of unbaffled prowess, by means of a number of keen shafts, cut off that mace, while it was on the point of being hurled at him. Beholding his mace cut off by Drona with arrows, that tiger among men, (viz., the Panchala prince), took up a spotless sword and a bright shield decked with a hundred moons. Without doubt, under those circumstances, the Panchala prince determined to make an end of that foremost of preceptors, that high-souled warrior. Sometimes, sheltering himself in his car-box and sometimes riding on his car-shafts, the prince moved about, uplifting his swords and whirling his bright shield. The mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, desirous of achieving, from folly, a difficult feat, hoped to pierce the chest of Bharadwaja's son in that battle. Sometimes, he stayed upon the yoke, and sometimes under the haunches of Drona's red steeds. These movements of his were highly applauded by all the troops. Indeed, while he stayed amid the trappings of the yoke or behind those red steeds, Drona found no opportunity to strike him. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. The movements of both Drona and Prishata's son in that battle resembled the fight of hawk careering through the welkin for a piece of meat. Then Drona, by means of a dart pierced the white steeds of his antagonist, one after another, not striking, however, the red ones amongst them (that belonged to himself) 1. Deprived of life, those steeds of Dhrishtadyumna fell down upon the earth. Thereupon, the red steeds of Drona himself, O king, where freed from the entanglements of Dhrishtadyumna's car. Beholding his steeds slain by that foremost of Brahmanas, Prishata's sons, that mighty car-warrior, that foremost of fighters, could not brook it. Though deprived of his car, still that foremost of all swordsmen, armed with his sword, sprang towards Drona, O monarch, like Vinata's son (Garuda) making a swoop at a snake. The form, O king, of Dhrishtadyumna at that time, when he sought to slay the son of Bharadwaja, resembled the form of Vishnu himself in days of yore when at the point of slaying Hiranyakasipu. He performed diverse evolutions, in fact. O Kauravya, the son of Prishata, careering in that battle, exhibited the well-known one and twenty different kinds of motion. Armed with the sword, and shield in hand, Prishata's son wheeled about and whirled his sword on high, and made side thrusts, and rushed forward, and ran sideways, and leapt high, and assailed the flanks of his antagonists and receded backwards, and closed with his foes, and pressed them hard. Having practised them well, he also showed the evolutions called Bharata, Kausika Satwata, as he careened
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in that battle for compassing the destruction of Drona, Beholding those beautiful evolutions of Dhrishtadyumna, as he careered on the field, sword and shield in hand, all the warriors, as also the celestials assembled there, were filled with wonder. The regenerate Drona then, shooting a thousand arrows in the thick of fight, cut off the sword of Dhrishtadyumna as also his shield, decked with a hundred moons. Those arrows that Drona shot, while fighting from such a near point, were of the length of a span. Such arrows are used only in close fight. None else have arrows of that kind, except Kripa, and Partha, and Aswatthaman and Karna, Pradyumna and Yuyudhana; Abhimanyu also had such arrows. Then the preceptor, desirous of slaying his disciple who was unto him even as his own son, fixed on his bow-string a shaft endued with great impetuosity. That shaft, however, Satyaki cut off by means of ten arrows, in the very sight of thy son as also of the high-souled Karna, as thus rescued Dhrishtadyumna who was on the point of succumbing to Drona. Then Kesava and Dhananjaya beheld Satyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled, who, O Bharata, was thus careering in the car-tracks (of the Kuru warriors) and within the range of the shafts of Drona and Karna and Kripa. Saying. 'Excellent, Excellent!' both of them loudly applauded Satyaki of unfading glory, who was thus destroying the celestial weapons of all those warriors. Then Kesava and Dhananjaya rushed towards the Kurus. Addressing Krishna, Dhananjaya said, 'Behold, O Kesava, that perpetuator of Madhu's race, viz., Satyaki of true prowess, sporting before the preceptor and those mighty car-warriors and gladdening me and the twins and Bhima and king Yudhishthira. With skill acquired by practice and without insolence, behold that enhancer of the fame of the Vrishnis, viz., Satyaki, careering in battle, sporting the while with those mighty car-warriors. All these troops, as also the Siddhas (in the welkin), beholding him invincible in battle, are filled with wonder, and applauding him, saying, 'Excellent, Excellent!' Indeed, O king, the warriors of both armies all applauded the Satwata hero, for his feats.'"

SECTION CXCIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding those feats of the Satwata hero, Duryodhana and others, filled with rage, quickly encompassed the grandson of Sini on all sides. Kripa and Karna, of also thy sorts, O sire, in that battle, quickly approaching the grandson of Sini, began to strike him with keen arrows. Then king Yudhishthira, and the two other Pandavas, viz., the two sons of Madri and Bhimasena of great might surrounded Satyaki (for protecting him). Karna, and the mighty car-warrior Kripa, and Duryodhana and others, all resisted Satyaki, pouring showers of arrows on him. The grand
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son of Sini, however, contending with all those car-warriors, baffled, O monarch, that terrible downpour of arrows, so suddenly created by his foes. Indeed, in that dreadful battle, Satyaki, by means of his own celestial weapons, duly resisted all those celestial weapons aimed at him by those illustrious warriors. The field of battle became full of many cruel sights upon that encounter of those royal combatants, resembling that scene of yore when Rudra, filled with rage, had destroyed all creatures. Human arms and heads and bows, O Bharata, and umbrellas displaced (from cars), and yak-tails, were seen lying in heaps on the field of battle. The earth became quickly strewn with broken wheels and cars, and massive arms lopped off from trunks, and brave horsemen deprived of life. And, O foremost one among the Kurus, large number of warriors, mangled with falling arrows, were seen in that great battle to roll and writhe on the ground in agony of the last spasms of death. During the progress of that terrible battle, resembling the encounter in days of old between the celestials and the Asuras, king Yudhishthira the just, addressing his warriors, said, Putting forth all your vigour, rush, ye great car-warriors, against the Pot-born! Yonder the heroic son of Prishata is engaged with Drona! He is endeavouring to the utmost of his might, to slay the son of Bharadwaja. Judging from the aspect he is presenting in this great battle, it is evident that filled with rage, he will today overthrow Drona. Uniting together, all of you fight with the Pot-born.' Thus ordered by Yudhishthira, the mighty car-warriors of the Srinjayas all rushed with great vigour to slay the son of Bharadwaja. That mighty car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja's son, quickly rushed against those advancing warriors, knowing for certain that he would die. When Drona, of sure aim, thus proceeded, the earth trembled violently. Fierce winds began to blow, inspiring the (hostile) ranks with fear. Large meteors fell, seemingly issuing out of the sun, blazing fiercely as they fell and foreboding great terrors. The weapons of Drona, O sire, seemed to blaze forth. Cars seemed to produce loud rattles, and steeds to shed tears. The mighty car-warrior, Drona, seemed to be divested of his energy, His left eye and left hand began to twitch. Beholding Prishata's son, again, before him, and bearing in mind the words of the Rishis about his leaving the world for heaven, he became cheerless. He then desired to give up life by fighting fairly. Encompassed on all sides by the troops of Drupada's son, Drona began to career in battle, consuming large numbers of Kshatriyas. That grinder of foes, having slain four and twenty thousand Kshatriyas, then despatched to Yama's abode ten times ten thousand, by means of his shafts of keen points. Exerting himself with care, he seemed to stand in that battle like a smokeless fire. For the extermination of the Kshatriya race, he then had recourse to the Brahma weapon. Then the mighty Bhima, beholding the illustrious and irresistible prince of the Panchalas carless and weaponless, quickly proceeded towards him. Beholding him striking at Drona from a near point, that grinder of foes took up Dhrishtadyumna on his own car and said unto him, 'Save thee there is no other man that can
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venture to fight with the preceptor. Be quick to slay him. The burden of his slaughter rests upon thee.' Thus addressed by Bhima, the mighty-armed Dhrishtadyumna speedily took up a strong, a new and a superb bow capable of bearing a great strain. Filled with rage, and shooting his arrows in that battle at the irresistible Drona, Dhrishtadyumna covered the preceptor, desirous of withstanding him. Those two ornaments of battle then, both foremost of fighters and both filled with rage, invoked into existence the Brahma and diverse other celestial weapons. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna covered Drona with many mighty weapons in that encounter. Destroying all the weapons of Bharadwaja's son, the Panchala prince, that warrior of unfading glory, began to slay the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus, that is, them, who protected Drona in that battle. Indeed, O king, shooting showers of arrows on all sides, Dhrishtadyumna at that time looked resplendent like the sun himself shedding his thousands of rays. Drona, however, once more cut off the prince's bow and pierced the vitals of the prince himself with many arrows. Thus pierced, the prince felt great pain. Then Bhima, of great wrath, holding the car of Drona, O monarch, slowly said these words unto him: If wretches amongst Brahmanas, discontented with the avocations of their own order, but well-versed in arms, did not fight, the Kshatriya order then would not have been thus exterminated. Abstention from injury to all creatures hath been said to be the highest of all virtues. The Brahmana is the root of that virtue. As regards thyself, again, thou art the foremost of all persons acquainted with Brahma. Slaying all those Mlecchas and other warriors, who, however, are all engaged in the proper avocations of their order, moved thereto by ignorance and folly, O Brahmana, and by the desire of wealth for benefiting sons and wives; indeed, for the sake of an only son, why dost thou not feel ashamed? He for whom thou hast taken up weapons, and for whom thou livest, he, deprived of life, lieth today on the field of battle, unknown to thee and behind thy back. King Yudhishthira the just hath told thee this. It behoveth thee not to doubt this fact.' Thus addressed by Bhima, Drona laid aside his bow. Desirous of laying aside all his weapons also, Bharadwaja's son of virtuous soul said aloud, 'O Karna, Karna, O great bowman, O Kripa, O Duryodhana, I tell you repeatedly, exert yourselves carefully in battle. Let no injury happen to you from the Pandayas. As regards myself, I lay aside my weapons.' Saying these words, he began loudly to take the name of Aswatthaman. Laying aside his weapons then in that battle, and sitting down on the terrace of his car, he devoted himself to Yoga and assured all creatures, dispelling their fears. Beholding that opportunity, Dhrishtadyumna mustered all his energy. Laying down on the car his formidable bow, with arrow fixed on the bow-string, he took up a sword, and jumping down from his vehicle, rushed quickly against Drona. All creatures, human beings and others, uttered exclamation of woe, beholding Drona thus brought under Dhrishtadyumna's power. Loud cries of Oh and Alas were uttered, as also those of Oh and Fie. As regards Drona himself,
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abandoning his weapons, he was then in a supremely tranquil state. Having said those words he had devoted himself to Yoga. Endued with great effulgence and possessed of high ascetic merit, he had fixed his heart on that Supreme and Ancient Being, viz., Vishnu. Bending his face slightly down, and heaving his breast forward, and closing his eyes, and resting ort the quality of goodness, and disposing his heart to contemplation, and thinking on the monosyllable Om, representing. Brahma, and remembering the puissant, supreme, and indestructible God of gods, the radiant Drona or high ascetic merit, the preceptor (of the Kurus and the Pandavas) repaired to heaven that is so difficult of being attained even by the pious. Indeed, when Drona thus proceeded to heaven it seemed to us that there were then two suns in the firmament. The whole welkin was ablaze and seemed to be one vast expanse of equal light when the sun-like Bharadwaja, of solar effulgence, disappeared. Confused sounds of joy were heard, uttered by the delighted celestials. When Drona thus repaired to the region of Brahman, Dhrishtadyumna stood, unconscious of it all, beside him. Only we five amongst men beheld the high-souled Drona rapt in Yoga proceed to the highest region of blessedness. These five were myself, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, and Drona's son, Aswatthaman, and Vasudeva of Vrishni's race, and king Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pandu. Nobody else, O king, could see that glory of the wise Drona, devoted to Yoga, while passing out of the world. In fact, all human beings were unconscious of the fact that the preceptor attained to the supreme region of Brahman, a region mysterious to the very gods, and one that is the highest of all. Indeed, none of them could see the preceptor, that chastiser of foes, proceed to the region of Brahman, devoted to Yoga in the company of the foremost of Rishis, his body mangled with arrows and bathed in blood, after he had laid aside his weapons. As regards Prishata's son, though everybody cried fie on him, yet casting his eyes on the lifeless Drona's head, he began to drag it. With his sword, then, he lopped off from his foe's trunk that head,--his foe remained speechless the while. Having slain Bharadwaja's son. Dhrishtadyumna was filled with great joy, and uttered leonine shouts, whirling his sword. Of a dark complexion, with white locks hanging down to his ears, that old man of five and eighty years of age, used, for thy sake only, to career on the field of battle with the activity of a youth of sixteen. The mighty-armed Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, (before Drona's head was cut off) had said, 'O son of Drupada, bring the preceptor alive, do not slay him. He should not be slain.' Even thus all the troops also had cried out. Arjuna, in particular, melted with pity, had cried out repeatedly. Disregarding, however, the cries of Arjuna as also these of all the kings, Dhrishtadyumna stew Drona, that bull among men, on the terrace of his car. Covered with Drona's blood, Dhrishtadyumna then Jumped from the car down upon the ground. Looking red like the sun, he then seemed to be exceedingly fierce. Thy troops beheld Drona slain even thus in that battle. Then Dhrishtadyumna. that great bowman, O king, threw down
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that large head of Bharadwaja's son before the warriors of thy army. Thy soldiers, O monarch, beholding the head of Bharadwaja's son, set their hearts on flight and ran away in all directions. Meanwhile Drona, ascending the skies, entered the stellar path. Through the grace of the Rishis Krishna (Dwaipayana), the son of Satyavati, I witnessed, O king, the (true circumstances about the) death of Drona. I beheld that illustrious one proceeding, after he had ascended the sky, like a smokeless brand of blazing splendour. Upon the fall of Drona, the Kurus, the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, all became cheerless and ran away with great speed. The army then broke up. Many had been slain, and many wounded by means of keen shafts. Thy warriors (in particular), upon the fall of Drona, seemed to be deprived of life. Having sustained a defeat, and being inspired with fear about the future, the Kurus regarded themselves deprived of both the worlds. Indeed, they lost all self-control. 1 Searching for the body of Bharadwaja's, son, O monarch, on the field covered with thousands of headless trunks, the kings could not find it. The Pandavas, having gained the victory and great prospects of renown in the future, began to make loud sounds with their arrows and conchs and uttered loud leonine roars. Then Bhimasena, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, were seen in the midst of the (Pandava) host to embrace each other. Addressing the son of Prishata, that scorcher of foes, viz., Bhima said, 'I will again embrace thee, O son of Prishata, as one crowned with victory, when that wretch of a Suta's son shall be slain in battle, as also that other wretch, viz., Duryodhana.' Having said these words, Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, filled with transports of joy, caused the earth to tremble with slaps on his armpits. Terrified by that sound, thy troops ran away from battle, forgetting the duties of the Kshatriyas and setting their hearts on flight. The Pandavas, having become victors, became very glad, O monarch, and they felt great happiness, derived from the destruction of their foes in battle.'"

SECTION CXCIV

"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of Drona, O king, the Kurus, afflicted with weapons, deprived of their leader, broken and routed, became filled with exertion, and deprived of energy through grief. Uttering loud wails, they grief, Seeing their foes (the Pandavas) prevailing over them, they repeatedly trembled. Their eyes filled with tears, and hearts inspired with fear, they became, O king, melancholy an cheerless, and destitute of
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gathered round thy son. Covered with dust, trembling (with fear), casting vacant looks on all sides, and their voice choked with fear, they resembled the Daityas after the fall of Hiranyaksha in the days of yore. Surrounded by them all, as if by small animals struck with fear, thy son, unable to stay in their midst, moved away. Afflicted with hunger and thirst, and scorched by the sun, thy warriors, then, O Bharata, became exceedingly cheerless. Beholding the fall of Bharadwaja's son, which was like unto the dropping of the sun down upon the earth, or the drying up of the ocean, or the transplantation of Meru, or the defeat of Vasava, beholding that act, incapable of being quietly witnessed, the Kauravas, O king, fled away in fear,--terror lending them greater speed. The ruler of the Gandharas Sakuni, beholding Drona of the golden car slain, fled with the car-warriors of his division, with speed that was much greater. Even the Suta's son fled away in fear, taking with him his own vast division, that was retreating with great speed with all its standards. The ruler of the Madras, viz., Salya, also, casting vacant looks around, fled away in fear, taking with him his division, teeming with cars and elephants and steeds. Saradwat's son, Kripa, too, fled away, saying, 'Alas. Alas,' taking with him his division of elephants and foot-soldiers, the greater part thereof having been slain. Kritavarman, O king, also fled away, borne by his swift steeds, and surrounded by the remnant of his Bhoja, Kalinga, Aratta, and Valhika troops. Uluka, O king, beholding Drona slain, fled away with speed, afflicted with fear and accompanied by a large body of foot-soldiers. Handsome and endued with youth, and reputed for his bravery, Duhsasana, also, in great anxiety, fled away surrounded by his elephant division. Taking with him ten thousand cars and three thousand elephants, Vrishasena also fled with speed at the sight of Drona's fall. Accompanied by his elephants and horses and cars, and surrounded also by foot-soldiers, thy son, the mighty car-warrior, Duryodhana, too, fled away, O king, taking with him the remnant of the Samsaptakas whom Arjuna had not yet slaughtered. Susarman, O king, fled away, beholding Drona slain. Riding on elephants and cars and steeds, all the warriors of the Kaurava army fled away from the field, seeing Drona, of golden car, slain. Some urging their sires on, some their brothers, some their maternal uncles, some their sons, some their friends, the Kauravas fled away. Others urging on their brethren in arms or, their sisters' sons, their kinsmen, fled away on all sides. With dishevelled hair, and accoutrements loosened, all fled away in such a manner that even two persons could not be seen running together.--The Kuru army has been totally destroyed,--even this was the belief of every body. Others amongst thy troops, fled away, O king, throwing off their coats of mail. The soldiers loudly called upon one another, O bull of Bharata's race, saying,--'Wait, Wait, do not fly,' but none of them that said so themselves stood on the field. Abandoning their vehicles and cars decked with ornaments, the warriors, riding on steeds or using their legs, fled away with great speed.
"While the troops, deprived of energy, were thus flying away with speed,
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only Drona's son, Aswatthaman, like a huge alligator coming up against the current of a stream, rushed against his foes. A fierce battle took place between him and many warriors headed by Sikhandin and the Prabhadrakas, the Panchalas, the Chedis, and the Kaikeyas. Slaying many warriors of the Pandava army that were incapable of being defeated with ease, and escaping with difficulty from the press of battle, that hero, possessed of the tread of an infuriated elephant, saw the (Kaurava) host running away, resolved on flight. Proceeding towards Duryodhana, Drona's son, approaching the Kuru king, said, 'Why, O Bharata, are the troops flying away as if in fear? Although flying away, thus, O monarch, why dost thou not yet rally them in battle? Thyself, too, O king, dost not seem to be in thy usual frame of mind. Upon the slaughter of that lion among car-warriors, O monarch, hath thy force fallen into this plight. O Kaurava, O king, all these that are headed (even) by Karna, wait not on the field. In no battle fought before did the army fly away thus. Hath any evil befallen thy troops, O Bharata?' Hearing these words of Drona's son on that occasion, Duryodhana, that bull among kings, felt himself unable to impart the bitter intelligence. Indeed, thy son seemed to sink into an ocean of grief, like a foundered boat. Beholding Drona's son on his car, the king became bathed in tears. Suffused with shame, O monarch, the king then addressed Saradwat's son, saying, 'Blessed be thou, say thou, before others, why the army is thus flying away'. Then Saradwat's son, O king, repeatedly feeling great anguish, told Drona's son how his sire had been slain.'
"Kripa said, 'Placing Drona, that foremost of car-warriors, at our head, we commenced to fight with only the Panchalas. When the battle commenced, the Kurus and the Somakas, mingled together, roared at one another and began to strike down one another with their weapons. During the progress of that battle the Dhartarashtras began to be thinned. Seeing this, thy sire, filled with rage, invoked into existence a celestial weapon. Indeed, Drona, that bull among men, having invoked the Brahma weapon, slew his enemies with broad-headed arrows, by hundreds, and thousands. 1 Urged by fate, the Pandavas, the Kaikeyas, the Matsyas, and the Panchalas, O foremast of regenerate ones, approaching Drona's car, began to perish. With his Brahma weapon, Drona despatched unto Yama's abode a thousand brave warriors and two thousand elephants. Of a dark complexion, with his gray locks hanging down to his ears, and full five and eighty years old, the aged Drona used to careen in battle like a youth of sixteen, When the enemy's troops were thus afflicted and the kings were being slain, the Panchalas, though filled with desire of revenge, turned back from the fight. When the enemy, turning back, partially lost their order, that vanquisher of foes, (viz., Drona), invoking celestial weapons into the existence, shone resplendent like the risen sun. Indeed, thy valiant sire, getting into the midst of the Pandavas, and
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having arrows for the rays that emanated from him, resembled the midday sun at whom none could gaze. Scorched by Drona, as if by the blazing sun, they became cheerless and deprived of their energy and senses. Beholding them thus afflicted by Drona with his shafts, the slayer of Madhu, desirous of victory to the son of Pandu, said these words: 'Truly, this foremost of all wielders of arms, this leader of the leaders is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the slayer of Vritra himself. Ye sons of Pandu, laying aside righteousness, take care of victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not slay all of you in battle. I think he will not fight after the fall of Aswatthaman. Let some man falsely tell him that Aswatthaman has been slain in battle.' Hearing these words Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, approved them not. The advice, however, met with the approval of all others, and even of Yudhishthira with some difficulty. Then, Bhimasena, with a tinge of bashfulness, said unto thy sire, 'Aswatthaman hath been slain.' Thy sire, however, did not believe him. Suspecting the intelligence to be false, thy father, so affectionate towards thee, enquired of Yudhishthira as to whether thou wert really dead or not. Afflicted with the fear of a lie, solicitous at the same time of victory, Yudhishthira, beholding a mighty elephant, huge as a hill and called Aswatthaman, belonging to the Malava chief, Indravarman, slain on the field by Bhima, approached Drona and answered him, saying, 'He for whom thou wieldest weapons, he, looking upon whom thou livest that ever dear son of thine, viz., Aswatthaman, hath been slain, Deprived of life he lieth on the bare ground like a young lion.' Aware fully of the evil consequences of falsehood, the king spoke those words unto that best of Brahmans, indistinctly adding elephant (after Aswatthaman). Hearing of the fall of his son, he began to wail aloud, afflicted with grief, Restraining (the force of) his celestial weapons, he fought not as before. Beholding him filled with anxiety, and almost deprived of his senses by grief, the son of the Panchala king, of cruel deeds, rushed towards him. Seeing the prince who had been ordained as his slayer, Drona, verse in all truths about men and things, abandoned all his celestial weapons and sat in Praya on the field of battle. Then Prishata's son, seizing Drona's head with his left hand and disregarding the loud admonitions of all the heroes, cut off that head.' Drona should not be slain, even these were the words uttered from every side. Similarly, Arjuna also, jumping down from his car, quickly ran towards Prishata's son, with arms upraised and repeatedly saying, 'O thou that art acquainted with the ways of morality, do not slay the preceptor but bring him alive.' Though thus forbidden by the Kauravas as also by Arjuna, Dhrishtadyumna killed thy father. For this, afflicted with fear, the troops are all flying away. Ourselves also, for the same reason, in great cheerlessness, O sinless one, are doing the same.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing of the slaughter of his sire in battle, Drona's son, like a snake struck with the foot, became filled with fierce wrath. And filled with rage, O sire, Aswatthaman blazed up in that battle like a fire fed with a large quantity of fuel. As he squeezed his hands and ground his teeth, and breathed like a snake, his eyes became red as blood.'"

SECTION CXCV

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the slaughter, by unrighteous means, of his aged sire, by Dhrishtadyumna, what, did the valiant Aswatthaman say, he, that is, in whom human and Varuna and Agneya and Brahma and Aindra and Narayana weapons are always present? Indeed, learning that the preceptor, that foremost of virtuous men, had been unrighteously slain by Dhrishtadyumna in battle, what did Aswatthaman say? The high-souled Drona, having obtained the science of weapons from Rama have imparted (a knowledge of) all the celestial weapons unto his son desirous of seeing the latter adorned with all the accomplishments (of a warrior). There is only one person in this world, viz., the son, and none else, whom people desire to become superior to themselves. All high-souled preceptors have this characteristic, viz., that they impart all the mysteries of their science unto either sons or devoted disciples. Becoming his sire's pupil. O Sanjaya, and obtaining all those mysteries with every detail, the son of Saradwat's daughter has become a second Drona, and a great hero. Aswatthaman is equal to Karna in knowledge of weapons, to Purandara in battle, to Kartavirya in energy, and Vrihaspati in wisdom. In fortitude, that youth is equal to a mountain, and in energy to fire. In gravity, he is equal to an ocean, and in wrath, to the poison of the snake. He is the foremost of all car-warriors in battle, a firm bowman, and above all fatigue. In speed he is equal to the wind itself and he careens in the thick of fight like Yama in rage. While his engaged in shooting arrows in battle, the very earth becomes afflicted. Of prowess incapable of being baffled, hero is never fatigued by exertions. Purified by the Vedas and by vows, he is a thorough master of the science of arms, like Rama, the son of Dasharatha. He is like the ocean, incapable of being agitated. Hearing that the preceptor, that foremost of righteous persons, had been unrighteously slain in battle by Dhrishtadyumna, what, indeed, did Aswatthaman say? Aswatthaman hath been ordained to be the slayer of Dhrishtadyumna, even as Yajnasena's son, the prince of the Panchalas, was ordained to be the slayer of Drona. What, Oh, did Aswatthaman say, hearing that his sire, the preceptor, had been slain by the cruel, sinful, and mean Dhrishtadyumna of little foresight?'"

SECTION CXCVI

"Sanjaya said.. 'Hearing of the slaughter of his sire by Dhrishtadyumna, of sinful deeds, Drona's son was filled with grief and rage, O bull among men. Filled with rage, O king, his body seems to blaze forth like that of the Destroyer while engaged in slaughtering creatures at the end of Yuga. Repeatedly
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wiping his tearful eyes, and breathing hot sighs in rage, he said unto Duryodhana, I have now learnt how my sire has been slain by those low wretches after he laid aside his weapons, and how also has a sinful act been perpetrated by Yudhishthira disguised in the grab of virtue! 1 I have now heard of that unrighteous and exceedingly cruel act of Dharma's son. Indeed, to those engaged in battle, either of the two things must happen, viz., victory or defeat. Death in battle is always to be applauded. That death, in battle, of a person engaged in fight, which takes place under circumstances of righteousness, is not deserving of grief, as has been observed by the sages. Without doubt, my sire has gone to the region of heroes. He having met with such a death, I should not grieve for him. The humiliation, however, of a seizure of his locks, that he sustained in the very sight of all the troops, while he was righteously engaged in battle, is tearing the very core of my heart. Myself alive, my sire's locks were seized, why should sonless people then entertain a desire of offspring? 2 People perpetrate unrighteous acts or humiliate others, moved by lust or wrath or folly or hatred or levity. The cruel and wicked-souled son of Prishata hath perpetrated this exceedingly sinful act in total disregard of me Dhrishtadyumna, therefore, shall surely suffer the dreadful consequence of that act, as also the false-speeched son of Pandu, that has acted so wrongly. Today, the earth shall certainly drink the blood of that king Yudhishthira the just, who caused the preceptor, by an act of deceit to lay aside his weapons. I swear by truth, O Kauraveya, as also by my religious acts, that I shall never bear the burden of life if I fail to exterminate the Panchalas. By every means I contend with the Panchalas in dreadful strife. I shall certainly slay in battle Dhrishtadyumna, that perpetrator of unrighteous deeds. Mild or violent, let the means be what they will, I shall effect the destruction of all the Panchalas before peace becomes mine. O Kaurava! O tiger among men, persons desire children so that obtaining them they may be rescued from great fears both here and hereafter. My sire, however, fell unto that plight, like a friendless creature, although myself am alive, his disciple and son, resembling a mountain (in might). Fie on my celestial weapons. Fie on my arms. Fie on my prowess. Since Drona, although he had a son in me, had his locks seized! I shall, therefore, O chief of the Bharatas, now achieve that by which I may be freed from the debt I owe to my sire, now gone to the other world. He that is good never indulges in self-praise. Unable, however, to brook the slaughter of my sire, I speak of my prowess. Let the Pandavas, with Janardana among them, behold my energy today, while I grind all their troops, achieving what is done (by the destroyer himself) at the end of the Yuga. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, nor all
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the foremost of men, shall today be able to vanquish me on my car in battle. There is none in the world equal to me or Arjuna in knowledge of weapons. Entering into the midst of the troops, like the sun himself in the midst of his blazing rays, I shall today use my celestial weapons. Today, applied by me, innumerable shafts, sped from my bow in dreadful battle, displaying their terrible energy, I shall grind the Pandavas. Today, all the points of the compass, O king will be seen by the warriors of our army shrouded with my winged arrows of keen points, as if with torrents of rain. Scattering showers of shafts on all sides with a loud noise, I shall overthrow my foes, like a tempest felling trees. Neither Vibhatsu, nor Janardana, nor Bhimasena, nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, nor king Yudhishthira, nor Prishata's wicked-souled son (Dhrishtadyumna), nor Sikhandin, nor Satyaki, O Kauravya, knoweth that weapon which I have, along with the mantras, for hurting and withdrawing it. Formerly on one occasion, Narayana, assuming the from of a Brahmana, came to my father. Bowing unto him, my father presented his offerings unto him in due form. Taking them himself, the divine Lord offered to give him a boon. My father then solicited that supreme weapon called Narayana. The divine Lord, the foremost of all gods, addressing my sire, said, No man shall ever become thy equal in battle. This weapon, however, O Brahmana, should never be used in haste. It never comes back without effecting the destruction of the foe. I know none whom it may not slay, O lord! Indeed, It would slay even the unslayable. Therefore, it should not be used (without the greatest deliberation). This mighty weapon, O scorcher of foes, should never be hurled upon persons that abandon their cars or weapons in battle, or upon those that seek for quarter or those that wield themselves up. He who seeketh to afflict in battle the unslayable with it, is himself exceedingly afflicted by it! 1'--My sire thus received that weapon. Then Lord Narayana, addressing myself also, said, 'With the aid of this weapon, thou too shalt pour diverse showers of celestial weapons in battle and blaze with energy in consequence of it. Having said these words, the divine Lord ascended to heaven. Even this is the history of the Narayana weapon which has been obtained by my sire's son. With that I will rout and slay the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Matsyas, and the Kaikeyas, in battle, like Sachi's lord routing and slaying the Asuras. My shafts, O Bharata, will fall upon the contending foes, in those particular forms which I shall wish them to assume. Staying in battle, I will pour showers of weapons as I desire. I will rout and slay all the foremost of car warriors with sky-ranging arrows of iron-points. Without doubt, I will shower innumerable battle-axes upon the foe. With the mighty Narayana weapon, a scorcher of foes that I am, I will destroy the Pandavas, causing an immense carnage amongst them. That wretch amongst the Panchalas, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna), who is an injurer of friends and Brahmanas and of his own preceptor, who is a deceitful wretch of the most reprehensible conduct, shall never escape from me today with
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life.' Hearing these words of Drona's son, the (Kuru) army rallied. Then many foremost of men blew their gigantic conchs. And filled with delight, they beat their drums and dindimas by thousands. The earth resounded with loud noises, afflicted with the hoofs of steeds and the wheels of cars. That loud uproar made the earth, and the firmament also echo with it. Hearing that uproar, deep as the roll of the clouds, the Pandavas, those foremost of car-warriors, uniting together, took counsel of one another. Meanwhile, Drona's son, having said those words, O Bharata, touched water and invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana.'"

 

 

SECTION CXCVII

"Sanjaya said, 'When the weapon called Narayana was invoked, violent winds began to blow with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heard although the sky was cloudless. The earth trembled, and the seas swelled up in agitation. The rivers began to run in a contrary course. The summits of mountains, O Bharata, began to split. Diverse animals began to pass by the left side of the Pandavas. 1 Darkness set in, the sun became obscure. Diverse kinds of carnivorous creatures began to alight on the field in joy. The gods, the Danavas, and the Gandharvas, O monarch, all became inspired with fear. Beholding that tremendous agitation (in nature), all began to ask one another loudly about its cause. Indeed, seeing that fierce and terrible weapon invoked by Drona's son, all the kings, inspired with fear, felt great pain.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, what counsel was adopted by the Pandavas for the protection of Dhrishtadyumna when they saw the Kauravas once more advance to battle, rallied by Drona's son who was scorched by grief and unable to brook the slaughter of his sire?'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Having behold before the Dhartarashtras fly away, Yudhishthira, seeing them once more prepared for furious battle, addressed Arjuna, saying, 'After the preceptor Drona had been slain in battle by Dhrishtadyumna, like the mighty Asura, Vritra, by the wielder of the thunderbolt, (the Kurus), O Dhananjaya, becoming cheerless, gave up all hopes of victory. Desirous of saving themselves, all of them fled away from battle. Some kings fled, riding on cars borne along irregular course without Parshni drivers, and divested of standards and banners and umbrellas, and with their Kuvaras and boxes broken, and all their equipments displaced. Others, struck with panic and deprived of their senses, themselves striking the steeds of their cars with their feet, fled precipitately. Others, riding on cars with broken yokes and wheels and Akshas, fled afflicted with fear. Others on horseback were carried away, their bodies
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half displaced from their saddles. Others, dislodged from their seats, and pinned by shafts to the necks of elephants, were quickly carried away by those animals. Others wore trodden to death all around by elephants, afflicted and mangled with arrows. Others, deprived of weapons and divested of armour, fell from their vehicles and animal down upon the earth. Others were cut by car-wheels, or crushed by steeds and elephants. Others loudly calling after their sires and sons, fled away in fear, without recognising one another, deprived of all energy by grief. Some, placing their sons and sires and friends and brothers (on vehicles) and taking off their armour, were seen washing them with water. After the slaughter of Drona, (the Kuru) army, fallen into such a plight, fled away precipitously. By whom then hath it been rallied? Tell me, if thou knowest. The sound of neighing steeds and trumpeting elephants, mingled with the clatter of car-wheels, is heard loud. These sounds, so fierce, occuring in the Kuru ocean, are repeatedly swelling up and causing my troops to tremble. This terrific uproar, making the hair stand on end, that is now heard, would, it seems, swallow the three worlds with Indra at their head. I think this terrible uproar is uttered by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself. It is evident that upon the fall of Drona, Vasava himself is approaching (against us) for the sake of the Kauravas. Our hairs have stood on their ends, our foremost of car-warriors are all afflicted with anxiety. O Dhanaujaya, hearing this loud and terrible noise, I ask thee who is that mighty car-warrior, like the lord of the celestials himself, that rallying this terrible and swelling host, is causing it to return?'
"Arjuna said, 'He, relying upon whose energy the Kauravas, having addressed themselves to the accomplishment of fierce feats, are blowing their conchs and staying with patience, he about whom thou hast thy doubts. O king, as to who he may be that is roaring so loud, having rallied the Dhartarashtras after the fall of the disarmed preceptor, he, who is endued with modesty, possessed of mighty arms, has the tread of an infuriated elephant, owns a face like that of a tiger, always achieves fierce feats, and dispels the fears of the Kurus, he upon whose birth Drona gave away a thousand kine unto Brahmanas of high worth, he O king, that is roaring so loud, is Aswatthaman. As soon as he was born, that hero neighed like Indra's steed and caused the three worlds to tremble at that sound. Hearing that sound, an invisible being, O lord, (speaking audibly) bestowed upon him the name of Aswatthaman (the horse-voiced). That hero, O son of Pandu, is roaring today. Prishata's son, by an exceedingly cruel act, assailed Drona and took his life as if the latter was without a preceptor. Yonder stayeth the preceptor of that Drona. Since of the prince of the Panchalas seized my preceptor by the hair, Aswatthaman, confident of his own prowess, will never forgive him. Thou, O monarch, hath told thy preceptor a falsehood for the sake of kingdom! Although thou art acquainted with the dictates of righteousness, thou hast yet perpetrated a very sinful act. Thy ill fame, in consequence of the slaughter of Drona, will be eternal in the three worlds with their mobile and immobile creatures,
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like Rama's in consequence of the slaughter of Bali! 1 About thyself, Drona had thought, 'The son of Pandu is possessed of every virtue; he is, besides, my disciple. He will never speak an untruth to me.' Thinking so, he gave credence to what thou hadst said. Although in speaking of Aswatthaman's death thou hadst added the world elephant, yet thy answer to the preceptor was, after all, an untruth in the garb of truth. Thus told by thee, the puissant Drona laid aside his weapons and, as thou sawest, became indifferent (to everything), exceedingly agitated, and almost deprived of his senses. It was even a disciple who, abandoning all morality, thus slew his own preceptor, full of affection for his son, while, indeed, that preceptor was filled with grief and unwilling to fight. Having caused him, who had laid his weapons to be unrighteously slain, protect the son of Prishata if thou canst, with all thy counsellors. All of us, uniting together, shall not be able to protect Prishata's son today, who will be assailed by the preceptor's son in wrath and grief. That superhuman being who is in that habit of displaying his friendship for all creatures, that hero, hearing of the seizure of his sire's locks, will certainly consume us all in battle today. Although I cried repeatedly at the top of my voice for saving the preceptor's life, yet, disregarding my cries and abandoning mortality, a disciple took the life of that preceptor. All of us have passed the greater part of our lives. The days that remain to us are limited. This exceedingly unrighteous act that we have perpetrated has stained that remnant. In consequence of the affection he bore to us, he was a sire unto us. According to the dictates of the scriptures also, he was a sire unto us. Yet he, that preceptor of ours, has been slain by us for the sake of short-lived sovereignty. Dhritarashtra, O king, had given unto Bhishma and Drona the whole earth, and what was still more valuable, all his children. Though honoured by our foe thus, and though he had obtained such wealth from him, the preceptor still loved us as his own children. Of unfading energy and prowess, the preceptor has been slain, only because, induced by thy words he had laid aside his weapons. While engaged in fight he was incapable of being slain by Indra himself. The preceptor was venerable in years and always devoted to our welfare. Yet unrighteous that we are, and stained with a levity of behaviour, we scrupled not to injure him. Alas, exceedingly cruel and very heinous has been the sin that we have committed, for, moved by the desire of enjoying the pleasures of sovereignty, we have slain that Drona. My preceptor had all along been under the impression that in consequence of my love for him, I could, (for his sake) abandon all,--sire, brother, children, wife and life itself. And yet moved by the desire of sovereignty, I interfered not when he was about to be slain. For this fault, O king, I have, O lord, already sunk into hell, overcome with shame. Having, for the sake of kingdom, caused the slaughter of one who was a Brahmana, who was venerable in years, who
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was my preceptor, who had laid aside his weapons, and who was then devoted, like a great ascetic, to Yoga, death has become preferable to me to life!'

 

 

 

SECTION CXCVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, the mighty car-warriors present there said not a single word, O monarch, agreeable or disagreeable, unto Dhananjaya. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, filled with wrath, O bull of Bharata's race, reproaching Kunti's son, Arjuna, said these words, 'Thou preachest truths of morality like an anchorite living in the woods or a Brahmana of rigid vows and senses under complete control. A person is called a Kshatriya because he rescues others from wounds and injuries. Being such, he must save himself from wounds and injuries. Showing forgiveness towards the three that are good (viz., the gods, the Brahmanas, and preceptor), a Kshatriya, by doing his duties, soon wins the earth as also piety and fame and prosperity. 1 Thou, O perpetuator of thy race, art endued with every attribute of a Kshatriya. It does not, therefore, look well for thee to speak like an ignorant wight. O son of Kunti, thy prowess is like that of Sakra himself, the lord of Sachi. Thou dost not transgress the bounds of morality like the ocean that never transgresses its continents. Who is there that would not worship thee, seeing that thou seekest virtue, having abandoned the wrath cherished by thee for thirteen years? By good luck, O sire, thy heart today followeth in the wake of virtue. O thou of unfading glory, by good luck, thy understanding inclineth towards compassion. Though, however, thou art inclined to adopt the path of virtue, thy kingdom was snatched from thee most unrighteously. Dragging the wife Draupadi to the assembly, thy foes insulted her. Clad in barks of trees and skins of animals, all of us were exiled to the woods, and though we were undeserving of that plight, our foes nevertheless compelled us to endure it for thirteen years. O sinless one, thou hast forgiven all these circumstances, every one of which demands the exhibition of wrath. Wedded as thou art to duties of a Kshatriya, thou hast quietly borne these. Remembering all those acts of unrighteousness, I came here with thee for avenging myself of them. (When, however, I see that thou art so indifferent, why), I myself will slay those low wretches that despoiled us of our kingdom. Thou hadst formerly said these words, viz., Addressing ourselves to battle, we will exert to the utmost extent of our abilities. Today, however, thou reproachest us. Thou now seekest, virtue. Those words, therefore, that thou saidst formerly were untrue. We are already afflicted with fear. Thou cuttest, however, the very core of our
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hearts with these thy words, O crusher of foes, like one pouring acid upon the sores of wounded men. Afflicted with thy wordy darts, my heart is breaking. Thou art virtuous, but thou dost not know in what righteousness truly consists, since thou applaudest neither thyself nor us, though all of us are worthy of applause. When Kesava himself is here, praisest thou the son of Drona, a warrior that does not come up to even a sixteenth part of thyself, O Dhanajaya, confessing thy own faults, why dost thou not feel shame? I can rend asunder this earth in rage, or split the very mountains in whirling that terrible and heavy mace of mine, decked with gold. Like the tempest, I can break down gigantic trees looking like hills. I can, with my arrows, rout the united celestials with Indra at their head, together with all the Rakshasas, O Partha, and the Asuras, the Uragas and human beings. Knowing me, thy brother, to be such, O bull among men, it behoveth thee not, O thou of immeasurable prowess, to entertain any fear about Drona's son. Or, O Vibhatsu, stand thou here, with all these bulls amongst men. Alone and unsupported, I shall, armed with my mace, vanquish this one in great battle.' After Bhima had ended, the son of the Panchala king, addressing Partha, said these words, like Hiranyakasipu (the leader of the Daityas) unto the enraged and roaring Vishnu, 1 'O Vibhatsu, the sages have ordained these to be the duties of Brahmanas, viz., assisting at sacrifices, teaching, giving away, performance of sacrifices, receiving of gifts, and study as the sixth. To which of these six was that Drona devoted who has been stain by me? Fallen off from the duties of his own order and practising those of the Kshatriya order, that achiever of wicked deeds used to stay us by means of superhuman weapons. Professing himself to be a Brahmana, he was in the habit of using irresistible illusion. By an illusion itself hath he been slain today. O Partha, what is there that is improper in this? Drona having been thus punished by me, if his son, from rage, uttereth loud roars, what do you lose by that? I do not think it at all wonderful that Drona's son, urging the Kauravas to battle, will cause them to be slain, unable to protect them himself. Thou art acquainted with morality. Why then dost thou say that I am a slayer of my preceptor? It was for this that I was born as a son to the king of the Panchalas, having sprung from the (sacrificial) fire. How, O Dhananjaya, you call him a Brahmana or Kshatriya, with whom, while engaged in battle, all acts, proper and improper, were the same? O foremost of men, why should not he be slain, by any means in our power, who, deprived of his senses in wrath, used to slay with the Brahma weapons even those that were unacquainted with weapons? He that is unrighteous is said by those that are righteous to be equal to poison. Knowing this,
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[paragraph continues] O thou that art well versed with the truths of morality, why dost thou, O Arjuna, reproach me? That cruel car-warrior was seized and slain by me. I have done nothing that is worthy of reproach. Why then, O Vibhatsu, dost thou not congratulate me? O Partha, I have cut off that terrible head, like unto the blazing sun or virulent poison or the all-destroying Yuga fire, of Drona. Why then dost thou not applaud an act that is worthy of applause? He had slain in battle only my kinsmen and not those of any one else. I say that having only cut off his head, the fever of my heart hath not abated. The very core of my heart is being pierced for my not having thrown that head within the dominion of the Nishadas, like that of Jayadratha! 1 It hath been heard, O Arjuna, that one incurreth sin by not slaying his foes. Even this is the duty of a Kshatriya, viz., to slay or be slain. Drona was my foe. He hath been righteously slain by me in battle, O son of Pandu, even as thou hast slain the brave Bhagadatta, thy friend. Having slain thy grandsire in battle, thou regardest that act to be righteous. Why then shouldst thou regard it unrighteous in me for my having slain my wretched foe? In consequence of our relationship, O Partha, I cannot raise my head in thy presence and am like a prostrate elephant with a ladder against his body (for helping puny creatures to get on his back). It, therefore, behoveth thee not to reproach me. I forgive all the faults of thy speech, O Arjuna, for the sake of Draupadi and Draupadi's children and not for any other reason. It is well known that my hostility with the preceptor has descended from sire to son. All persons in this world know it. Ye sons of Pandu, are ye not acquainted with it? The eldest son of Pandu hath not been untruthful in speech. I myself, O Arjuna, am not sinful. The wretched Drona was a hater of his disciples. Fight now. Victory will be thine.'"

 

 

 

SECTION CXCIX

"Dhritarashtra said, 'That illustrious person who had duly studied the Vedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and modesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost of men are still capable of achieving superhuman feats which the very gods cannot achieve with care, alas, when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great Rishi was insulted in the sight of all by the low, wicked, mean minded and sinful Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya who felt called upon to display his wrath? Fie on the Kshatriya order, and fie on wrath itself! Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the
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sons of Pritha, as also all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of Drona's slaughter, said unto the prince of Panchala.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Drupada's son, of crooked deeds, all the persons present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent. Arjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata's son, seemed, with tears and sighs, to reproach him, saying, 'Fie, fie.' Yudhishthira and Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others stood bashfully. Satyaki, however, O king, said these words, 'Is there no man here that would, without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest of men, who is uttering such evil speeches? The Pandavas are all condemning thee for this sinful act of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the Chandala class. Having committed such a heinous act, having incurred the censures of all honest men, art thou not ashamed to open thy lips in the midst of such a respectable assembly? O despicable wretch, why did not thy tongue and head split into a hundred fragments while thou wert about to slay thy own preceptor? Why wert thou not struck down by that act of sin? Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again applauding thyself in the midst of human beings, thou incurrest the censures of the Parthas and all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis. Having perpetrated such an atrocious act, thou art again displaying such hatred towards the preceptor. For this thou deservest death at our hands. There is no use in keeping thee alive for even a single moment. Who is there, save thee, O wretch, that would cause the death of the virtuous preceptor, seizing him by his locks? Having obtained thee, O wretch, thy ancestors, for seven generations and thy descendants also for seven generations, deprived of fame, have sunk into hell, Thou hast charged Partha, that bull among men, with the slaughter of Bhishma. The latter, however, viz., that illustrious personage, himself accomplished his own death. Truly speaking, the uterine brother, (viz., Sikhandin), that foremost of all sinners, was the cause of Bhishma's death. There is none in the world that is more sinful than the sons of the Panchala king. Thy father had created Sikhandin for the destruction of Bhishma. As regards Arjuna, he had only, protected Sikhandin while Sikhandin became the cause of the illustrious Bhishma's death. Having got thee that is condemned by all righteous men, and thy brother, amongst them, the Panchalas have fallen off from righteousness, and stained with meanness, have become haters of friends and preceptors. If thou again speakest such words in my presence, I shall then break with this mace of mine that is as strong as the thunderbolt. Beholding thee that art the slayer of a Brahmana, since thou art guilty of nothing less than the slaughter of a Brahmana., people have to look at the sun for purifying themselves. Thou wretch of a Panchala, O thou of wicked conduct, speaking all of my preceptor first and then of my preceptor's preceptor, art thou not ashamed? 1 Wait, wait! Bear thou but one stroke of this my mace! I
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myself will bear many strokes of thine.' Thus rebuked by the Satwata hero, Prishata's son, filled with rage, smilingly addressed the angry Satyaki in these harsh words.'
"Dhrishtadyumna said, 'I have heard thy words, O thou of Madhu's race, but I have forgiven thee. Being thyself unrighteous and sinful, desirest thou to rebuke them that are righteous and honest? Forgiveness is applauded in the world. Sin, however, does not deserve forgiveness. He that is of sinful soul regards the forgiving person powerless. Thou art a wretch in thy behaviour. Thou art of sinful soul. Thou art wedded to unrighteousness. Thou art censurable in every respect, from the tip of thy toe to the end of their hair. Desirest thou still to speak ill of others? What can be more sinful than that act of thine, viz., thy slaughter of the armless Bhurisravas while sitting in Praya, although thou wert with the aid of celestial weapons. He had laid aside his weapons and I slew him. O thou of crooked heart, what is there in that act that is improper? How can he, O Satyaki, blame such an act who himself has in Praya like an ascetic, and whose arms had been cut off by another? That valiant enemy of thine had displayed his prowess having struck thee with his foot and thrown thee down on the earth. Why didst thou not then slay him, showing thy manliness? When Partha, however, had already vanquished him, it was then that thou, acting most unrighteously, didst kill the brave and valiant Somadatta's son. When Drona had sought to rout the forces of the Pandavas, then I proceeded, shooting thousands of arrows. Having thyself acted in such a way, like a Chandala, and having thyself become worthy of reproach, desirest thou to reproach me in such harsh words? Thou art a perpetrator of evil deeds, and not I, O wretch the Vrishni race! Thou art the abode of all sinful deeds. Do not again blame me. Be silent. It behoveth thee. Don't say anything unto me after this. This is the reply I give thee with my lips. Don't say anything more. If, from folly, thou repeatest such harsh words, I shall then, in battle, despatch thee, with my arrows, to Yama's abode. By righteousness alone, O fool, one cannot vanquish his enemies. Listen now to the unrighteous acts of the Kurus also. Pandu's son, Yudhishthira was some time back unrighteously deceived by them. O Satyaki, Draupadi also was persecuted by them unrighteously. The Pandavas, with Krishna in their company, were also exiled and they were robbed of their all, O fool, most unrighteously. By an act of unrighteousness, again, has the ruler of the Madras been withdrawn from us by the enemy. By an act of unrighteousness also was the son of Subhadra slain. On this side, it was by an act of unrighteousness that Bhishma, the Kuru grandsire, was slain. Bhurisravas, too, was, by an act of unrighteousness, slain by thee that art so acquainted with righteousness. Even thus have the enemy, as also the Pandavas, acted in this battle. Possessed of courage and acquainted with morality, all of them, O Satwata, have acted thus, for gaining victory. High morality is difficult of ascertainment. Similarly, immorality also can with difficulty be comprehended. Fight now with the Kauravas, without returning to the home
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of thy fathers.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these harsh and cruel words (from Dhrishtadyumna's lips), the blessed Satyaki began to tremble from head to foot. With rage his eyes assumed the hue of copper. Keeping his bow then upon his car, he grasped his mace, sighing like a Snake. Rushing, then, towards the prince of the Panchalas, he said unto him in great wrath, 'I will not speak harshly to thee, but I will slay thee, deserving as thou art of slaughter.' Seeing the mighty Satyaki rushing, from wrath and desire of revenge, at the Panchala prince, like Yama against one like his own self, the mighty Bhima, urged by Vasudeva, quickly jumped down from his car and seized him with his arms. Endued with great strength, Satyaki, who was rushing in great wrath, proceeded for a few steps, forcibly dragging after him the mighty son of Pandu who was endeavouring to hold him back. Then Bhima firmly planting his feet stopped at the sixth step that foremost of strong men, viz., that bull of Sini's race. Then Sahadeva, O king, jumping down from his own car, addressed Satyaki, thus held fast by the strong arms of Bhima, in these words, 'O tiger among men, O thou of Madhu's race, we have no friends dearer to us than the Andhakas, the Vrishnis and the Panchalas. So also the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, particularly Krishna, cannot have any friends dearer than ourselves. The Panchalas, also, O thou of Vrishni's race, even if they search the whole world to the confines of the sea, have no friends dearer to them than the Pandavas and the Vrishnis. Thou art even such a friend to this prince; and he also is a similar friend to thee. Ye all are to us even as we are to you. Acquainted as thou art with all duties, remembering now the duties thou owest to friends, restrain this wrath of thine, that has the prince of the Panchalas for its object. Be calm, O foremost one of Sini's race! Forgive the son of Prishata, and let Prishata's son also forgive thee. Ourselves also will practise forgiveness. What is there that is better than forgiveness?'
"While the scion of Sini, O sire, was thus being pacified by Sahadeva, the son of the Panchala king, smiling, said these words, 'Release Sini's grandson, O Bhima who is so proud of his prowess in battle. Let him come at me like the wind assailing the mountains, till, with my keen arrows, O son of Kunti, I quell his rage and desire for battle and take his life. Yonder come the Kauravas. I shall (after staying Satyaki) achieve this great task of the Pandavas that has presented itself. Or let Phalguna resist all the enemies in battle. As regards myself, I will fell this one's head with my arrows. He taketh me for the armless Bhurisravas in battle. Release him. Either I will slay him or he will slay me.' Hearing these words of the Panchala prince, the mighty Satyaki held fast in Bhima's clasp, sighing like a snake, began to tremble. Both of them, endued with great might and possessed of powerful arms, began to roar like a couple of bulls. Then Vasudeva, O sire, and king Yudhishthira the just, with great effort, succeeded in pacifying those heroes. Having pacified those two great bowmen, those two heroes, whose eyes had become
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blood-red with rage, all the Kshatriyas (of the Pandava) army proceeded against the warriors of the hostile army for battle.'

 

 

 

 

SECTION CC

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona's son began to cause a great carnage amongst his foes in that battle, like the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. Slaying his enemies by means of his broad-headed arrows, Aswatthaman soon piled a mountain there of the dead. The standards of cars formed its trees; and weapons its pointed summits; the lifeless elephants formed its large rocks; the steeds, its Kimpurushas; and bows, its creepers and plants. And it resounded with the cries of all carnivorous creatures, that constituted its feathery population. And the spirits that walked there formed its Yakshas 1. Then roaring aloud, O bull of Bharata's race, Aswatthaman once more repeated his vow in the hearing of thy son, thus, 'Since Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, assuming only the outward garb of virtue, had caused the preceptor who was (righteously) engaged in battle to lay aside his weapons, I shall, in his very sight, rout and destroy his army. Having mangled all his troops, I shall, then, slay the sinful prince of the Panchalas. Indeed, I shall slay all of them, if they contend with me in battle. I tell thee truly, therefore, rally thou thy troops.' Hearing these words of Aswatthaman, thy son rallied the troops, having dispelled their fears with a loud leonine, roar. The encounter, then, O king, that once more took place between the Kuru and the Pandava armies, became as terrible as that of two oceans at full tide. The terrified Kauravas had their fears dispelled by Drona's son. The Pandus and the Panchalas had become fierce in consequence of Drona's slaughter. Great was the violence of that collision, on the field of battle, between those warriors, all of whom were cheerful and filled with rage and inspired with certain hopes of victory. Like a mountain, striking against a mountain, or an ocean against an ocean, O monarch, was that collision between the Kurus and the Pandavas. Filled with joy, the Kuru and the Pandava warriors beat thousands of drums. The loud and stunning uproar that arose from among those troops resembled that of the ocean itself while churned (of old by the gods and the Danavas). Then Drona's son, aiming at the host of the Pandavas and the Panchalas, invoked the weapon called Narayana. Then thousands of arrows with blazing mouths appeared in the welkin, resembling snakes of fiery mouths, that continued to agitate the Pandavas. In that dreadful battle, those shafts, O king, like the very rays of the sun in a moment
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shrouded all the points of the compass, the welkin, and the troops. Innumerable iron balls also, O king, then appeared, like resplendent luminaries in the clear firmament. Sataghnis, some equipped with four and some with two wheels, and innumerable maces, and discs, with edges sharp as razor and resplendent like the sun, also appeared there. Beholding the welkin densely shrouded with those weapons, O bull of Bharata's race, the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, became exceedingly agitated. In all those places, O ruler of men, where the great car-warriors of the Pandavas contended in battle, that weapon became exceedingly powerful. Slaughtered by the Narayana weapon, as if consumed by a conflagration, the Pandava troops were exceedingly afflicted all over the field in that battle. Indeed, O lord, as fire consumeth a heap of dry grass in summer, even so did that weapon consume the army of the Pandus. Beholding that weapon filling every side, seeing his own troops destroyed in large numbers, king Yudhishthira the just, O lord, became inspired with great fright. Seeing his army in course of flight and deprived of its senses, and beholding Parthas standing indifferent, Dharma's son said these words, 'O Dhrishtadyumna, fly away with your Panchala troops. O Satyaki, you also go away, surrounded by the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. Of virtuous soul, Vasudeva will himself seek the means of his own safety. He is competent to offer advice to the whole world. What need is there of telling him what he should do? We should not any longer fight. I say so unto all the troops. As regards myself, I will, with all my brothers ascend a funeral pile. Having crossed the Bhishma and the Drona oceans in this battle, that are incapable of being crossed by the timid, shall I sink with all my followers in the vestige, represented by Drona's son, of a cow's hoof? Let the wishes of king Duryodhana be crowned with success today, for I have today slain in battle the preceptor, that always cherished such friendly feelings towards us, that preceptor, who, without protecting, caused that child unacquainted with battle, viz., the son of Subhadra, to be slain by a multitude of wicked warriors, that preceptor, who with his son, sat indifferently, without answering, when Krishna in such distress, dragged into the assembly and sought to be made a slave, asked him to say the truth, that preceptor, who, white all the other warriors were fatigued, cased Duryodhana in invulnerable armour when the latter desired to slay Phalguna and who, having cased him so, appointed him to protect Jayadratha, who, being acquainted with the Brahma weapon, scrupled not to exterminate the Panchalas, headed by Satyajit, that had exerted themselves for my victory, that preceptor, who, whilst we were being unrighteously exiled from our kingdom, freely told us to go into the woods although he had been solicited by our friends to withhold his permission 1. Alas, that great friend of our hath been slain! For his sake, I will, with my friends, lay down my life. After Kunti's son, Yudhishthira had said
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this, he of Dasarha's race, (viz., Kesava) quickly forbidding the troops, by motion of his arms, to fly away said these words, Speedily lay down your weapons, all of you, and alight from your vehicles. Even this is the means ordained by the illustrious one, (viz., Narayana himself) for baffling this weapon. Come down on the earth, all of you from your elephants and steeds and cars. If you stand weaponless on the earth, this weapon will not slay you. In those places where you will fight for quelling the force of this weapon the Kauravas will become more powerful than you. Those men, however, that will throw down their weapons and alight from their vehicles, will not in this battle, be slain by this weapon. They, however, that will, even in imagination, contend against this weapon, will all be slain even if they seek refuge deep beneath the earth'. The warriors of the Pandava army, hearing, O Bharata, these words of Vasudeva, threw their weapons and drove away from their hearts all desire of battle. Then Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, beholding the warriors about to abandon their weapons, said these words, O king, gladdening them all: 'None should lay down his weapons here. I shall, with my shafts, oppose this weapon of Drona's son. With this heavy mace of mine, that is decked with gold, I shall career in this battle like the Destroyer himself, quelling this weapon of Drona's son. There is no man here that is equal to me in prowess, even as there is no luminary in the firmament that is equal to the sun. Beholding these two strong arms of mine like unto the trunks of a couple of mighty elephants, capable of pulling down the mountain of Himavat. I am the one person here that possesses the might of the thousand elephants. I am without a peer, even as Sakra is known to be in heaven among the celestials. Let people witness today the prowess of these two arms of my broad-chested self, while engaged in baffling the bright and blazing weapon of Drona's son. If there be none (else) capable of contending against the Narayana weapon, even I shall contend against it today in the very sight of all the Kurus and the Pandavas. O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu, thou shouldst not lay Gandiva aside. A stain will then attach to thee like that of the moon.' Thus addressed Bhima, Arjuna said, O Bhima, even this is my great vow, viz., that my Gandiva shall not be used against the Narayana weapon, kine, and Brahmanas. Thus answered by Arjuna, Bhima, that chastiser of foes, riding on his car of solar effulgence, whose rattle, besides, resembled the roar of the clouds, rushed against the son of Drona. Endued with great energy and prowess, the son of Kunti, in consequence of his extreme lightness of hand, within the twinkling of an eye, covered Aswatthaman with a shower of weapons. Then Drona's son, smiling at the rushing Bhima and addressing him (in proper words) covered him with arrows, inspired with mantras and equipped with blazing points. Shrouded with those shafts that vomited fire and resembled snakes of blazing mouths, as if covered with sparks of gold. The form, O king, of Bhimasena in that battle looked like that of a mountain in the evening when covered with fire. That weapon of Drona's son, directed against Bhimasena increased in energy and might,
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[paragraph continues] O king, like a conflagration assisted by the wind. Beholding that weapon of terrible energy thus increasing in might, a panic entered the hearts of all the combatants of the Pandava army with the exception of Bhima. Then all of them, throwing down their weapons on the earth, alighted from their cars and steeds. After they had thrown their weapons and alighted from their vehicles, that weapon of exceeding energy fell upon the head of Bhima. All creatures, especially the Pandavas, uttered cries of Oh and Alas, beholding Bhimasena overwhelmed by the energy of that weapon.'"

 

 

 

SECTION CCI

"Sanjaya said, "Beholding Bhimasena overwhelmed by that weapon, Dhananjaya, for baffling its energy, covered him with the Varuna weapon. In consequence of the lightness of Arjuna's arms, and owing also to the fiery force that shrouded Bhima, none could see that the latter had been covered with the Varuna weapon. Shrouded with the weapon of Drona's son, Bhima, his steeds, driver, and car became incapable of being gazed at, like a fire of blazing flame in the midst of another fire. As at the close of the night, O king, all the luminaries run towards the Asta hill, even so the fiery shafts (of Aswatthaman) all began to proceed towards Bhimasena's car. Indeed, Bhima himself, his car, steeds, and driver, O sire, thus shrouded by Drona's son seemed to be in the midst of a conflagration. As the (Yuga) fire consuming the entire universe with its mobile and immobile creatures when the hour of dissolution comes, at last enters the mouth of the Creator, even so at the weapon of Drona's son began to enter the body of Bhimasena. As one cannot perceive a fire if it penetrates into the sun or the sun if it enters into a fire, even so none could perceive that energy which penetrated into Bhima's body. Beholding that weapon thus investing Bhima all around, and seeing Drona's son swelling with energy and might, the latter being then without an antagonist, and observing also that all the warriors of the Pandava army had laid down their weapons and that all the mighty car-warriors of that host headed by Yudhishthira had turned away their faces from the foe, those two heroes, viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva, both endued with great splendour, quickly alighting from their car, ran towards Bhima. Those two mighty men, diving into that energy born of the might of Aswatthaman's weapon, had resorted to the power of illusion. The fire of that weapon consumed them not, in consequence of their having laid aside their weapons, as also in consequence of the force of the Varuna weapon, and owing also to the energy possessed by themselves. Then Nara and Narayana, for the pacification of Narayana weapon, began
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forcibly to drag Bhima and all his weapons. Thus dragged by them, Kunti's son, that mighty car-warrior, began to roar aloud. Thereupon, that terrible and invincible weapon of Drona's son began to increase (in might and energy). Then Vasudeva, addressing Bhima, said, 'How is it, O son of Pandu, that though forbidden by us, thou, O son of Kunti, dost not yet abstain from battle? If the Kurus could now be vanquished in battle, then we, as also all these foremost of men, would certainly have continued to fight. Behold, all the warriors of thy host have alighted from their cars. For this reason, O son of Kunti, do thou also come down from thy car.' Having said these words, Krishna brought Bhima down from his car. The latter, with eyes red as blood in rage, was sighing like a snake. When, however, he was dragged down from his car and made to lay aside his weapons, the Narayana weapon, that scorcher of foes, became pacified.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'When, by this means, the unbearable energy of that weapon became stilled, all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, became clear. Sweet breezes began to blow and birds and animals all became quiet. The steeds and elephants became cheerful, as also all the warriors, O ruler of men! Indeed, when the terrible energy of that weapon, O Bharata, became stilled, Bhima. of great intelligence, shone resplendent like the morning sun. The remnant of the Pandava host, beholding the pacification of the Narayana weapon, once more stood prepared on the field for compassing the destruction of thy sons. When, after that weapon had been baffled, the Pandava host, stood arrayed, Duryodhana, O king, addressing Drona's son, said, O Aswatthaman, once more use that weapon speedily since the Panchalas are once more arrayed, desirous of victory.' Then addressed by thy son, O sire, Aswatthaman, sighing cheerlessly, replied unto the king in these words, 'That weapon, O king, cannot be brought back. It cannot be used twice. If brought back, it will without doubt, slay the person calling it back. Vasudeva, hath, by what means thou hast seen, caused it to be baffled. For this, O ruler men, the destruction of the foe hath not been compassed in battle. Defeat and death, however, are the same. Rather, defeat is worse than death. Lo, the enemy, vanquished and compelled to lay down his arms, looks as if deprived of life'. Duryodhana then said, 'O preceptor's son, if it be so, if this weapon cannot be used twice, let those slayers of their preceptor be slain with other weapons then, O foremost one of all persons acquainted with weapons! In thee are all celestial as well as in the Three eyed (Siva) of immeasurable energy. If thou wishest it not, even Purandara in rage cannot escape thee.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Drona had been slain with the aid of fraud, and the Narayana weapon baffled, what, indeed, did Drona's son, thus urged by Duryodhana then, do, beholding the Parthas once more arrived for battle freed from the Narayana weapon, and careering at the head of their divisions?'
"Sanjaya said, 'Remembering the slaughter of his sire, Drona's son, owning the device of the lion's tail on his banner, filled with rage and casting
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of all fears, rushed against the son of Prishata. Rushing at him, O bull among men, that foremost of warriors, with great impetuosity, pierced the Panchala prince with five and twenty small arrows. Then Dhrishtadyumna, O King, pierced Drona's son that resembled a blazing fire, with four and sixty shafts. And he pierced Aswatthaman's driver also with twenty arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold, and then his four steeds with four sharp arrows. Repeatedly piercing Drona's son, and causing the earth to tremble with his leonine roars. Dhrishtadyumna then seemed to be employed in taking the lives of creatures in the world in dreadful battle. Making death itself his goal, the mighty son of Prishata, O king, accomplished in weapons and endued with sureness of aim, then rushed against Drona's son alone. Of immeasurable soul, that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the prince of Panchala, poured upon Aswatthaman's head a shower of arrows. Then Drona's son, in that battle, covered the angry prince with winged shafts. And once more, he pierced the latter with ten shafts, remembering the slaughter of his father. Then cutting off the standard and bow of the Panchala prince with a couple of well-shot shafts, equipped with heads like razors. Drona's son began to grind his foe with other arrows. In that dreadful battle, Aswatthaman made his antagonist steedless and driverless and carless, and covered his followers also with thick showers of shafts. At this, the Panchala troops, O king, mangled by means of those arrowy showers fled away in fear and great affliction. Beholding the troops turning away from battle and Dhrishtadyumna exceedingly afflicted, the grandson of Sini quickly urged his car against that of Drona's son. He then afflicted Aswatthaman with eight keen shafts. And once more striking that angry warrior with twenty shafts of diverse kinds, he pierced Aswatthaman's driver, and then his four steeds with four shafts. With. great deliberations and displaying a wonderful lightness of hand, he cut off Aswatthaman's bow and standard, Satyaki then cut into fragments the gold-decked car of this foe together with its steeds. And then he deeply pierced Aswatthaman in the chest with thirty arrows in that battle. Thus afflicted, O king, (by Satyaki), and shrouded with arrows, the mighty Aswatthaman knew not what to do. When the preceptor's son had fallen into that plight, thy son, that car-warrior, accompanied by Kripa and Karna and others began to cover the Satwata hero with arrows. All of them began quickly to pierce Satyaki from every side with keen shafts, Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, Saradwat's son, Kripa, with three. And Kritavarman pierced him with ten, and Karna with fifty. And Duhsasana pierced him with a hundred arrows, and Vrishasena with seven. Satyaki, however, O king, soon made all those great car-warriors fly away from the field, deprived of their cars. Meanwhile, Aswatthaman, O bull of Bharata's race, recovering consciousness, and sighing repeatedly in sorrow, began to think of what he should do. Riding then upon another car, that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Drona, began to resist Satyaki, shooting hundreds of arrows. Beholding Aswatthaman once more approaching him in battle, the mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, once more made him careless and caused
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him to turn back. Then the Pandavas, O king, beholding the prowess of Satyaki, blew their conchs with great force and uttered loud leonine roars. Having deprived Aswatthaman of his car thus, Satyaki, of unbaffled prowess, then slew three thousand mighty car-warriors of Vrishasena's division. And then he slew fifteen thousand elephants of Kripa's force and fifty thousand horses of Sakuni. Then, the valiant son of Drona, O monarch, riding upon another car, and highly enraged with Satyaki, proceeded against the latter, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him approach again, the grandson of Sini, that chastiser of foes, once more pierced and mangled him with keen shafts, fiercer than those he had used before. Deeply pierced with those arrows of diverse forms by Yuyudhana, that great bowmen, viz., the angry son of Drona, smilingly addressed his foe and said, 'O grandson of Sini, I know thy partiality for Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his preceptor, but thou shalt not be able to rescue him or your own self when attacked by me. I swear to thee, O grandson of Sini, by truth and by my ascetic austerities, that I shall know no peace till I slay all the Panchalas. You may unite the forces of the Pandavas and those of the Vrishnis together, but I shall still slay the Somakas. Saying this, the son of Drona shot at Satyaki an excellent and straight arrow possessed of the effulgence of the sun, even as Sakra had hurled in days of yore his thunder at the Asura Vritra. Thus shot by Aswatthaman, that arrow, piercing through the armour of Satyaki, and passing through his body, entered the earth like a hissing snake entering its hole. His armour pierced through, the heroic Satyaki, like an elephant deeply struck with the hook, became bathed in blood that flowed from his wound. His bow, with arrow fixed thereon, being then loosened from his grasp, he sat down on the terrace of his car strengthless and covered all over with blood. Seeing this his driver speedily bore him away from Drona's son. With another shaft, perfectly straight and equipped with goodly wings that scorcher of foes, viz., Aswatthaman, struck Dhrishtadyumna between his eyebrows. The Panchala prince had before this been much pierced; therefore, deeply wounded by that arrow, he became exceedingly weak and supported himself by seizing his flag-staff. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna thus afflicted by Aswatthaman, like an infuriated elephant by a lion, five heroic car-warriors of the Pandava army, viz., Kiritin, Bhimasena, Vrihatkshatra of Puru's race, the youthful prince of the Chedis, and Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas, quickly rushed against Aswatthaman. Armed with bows, all these rushed with cries Oh and Alas. And those heroes quickly encompassed the son of Drona on all sides. Advancing twenty paces, all of them, with great care, simultaneously struck the angry son of the preceptor with five and twenty arrows. Drona's son, however, with five and twenty shafts, resembling snakes of virulent poison, cut off, almost at the same time, those five and twenty arrows shot at him. Then Aswatthaman afflicted the Paurava prince with seven sharp shafts. And he afflicted the chief of the Malavas with three, Partha with one, and Vrikodara with six shafts. Then all those
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great car-warriors, O king, pierced Drona's son unitedly and separately with many shafts, whetted on stone equipped with wings of gold. The youthful prince of the Chedis pierced Drona's son with twenty and Partha pierced him with three. Then Drona's son struck Arjuna with six arrows, and Vasudeva with six, and Bhima with five, and each of the other two viz., the Malava and the Paurava, with two arrows. Piercing next the driver of' Bhima's car with six arrows, Aswatthaman cut off Bhimasena's bow and standard with a couple of arrows. Then piercing Partha once more with a shower of arrows, Drona's son uttered a leonine roar. With the sharp, well-tempered, and terrible arrows shot by Drona's son, the earth, the sky, the firmament, and the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, all became entirely shrouded both in his front and rear. Endued with fierce energy and equal to Indra himself in prowess, Aswatthaman with three arrows, almost simultaneously cut off the two arms, like unto Indra's poles, and the head of Sudarsana, as the latter was seated on his car. Then piercing Paurava with a dart and cutting off his car into minute fragments by means of his arrows, Aswatthaman lopped off his antagonist's two arms smeared with sandal-paste and then his head from off his trunk with a broad-headed shaft. Possessed of great activity, he then pierced with many arrows resembling blazing flames of fire in energy, the youthful and mighty prince of the Chedis who was of the hue of the dark lotus, and despatched him to Yama's abode with his driver and steeds. Beholding the chief of the Malavas, the descendant of Puru, and the youthful ruler of the Chedis slain in this very sight by the son of Drona.. Bhimasena, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, became filled with rage. The scorcher of foes then covered Drona's son in that battle with hundreds of keen arrows resembling angry snakes of virulent poison. Endued with mighty energy, the angry son of Drona then destroying that arrowy shower, pierced Bhimasena with sharp shafts. The mighty-armed Bhima then, possessed of great strength, cut off with a broad-headed arrow the bow of Drona's son and then pierced Drona's son himself with a powerful shaft. Throwing away that broken bow, the high-souled son of Drona took up another and pierced Bhima with his winged shafts. Then those two, viz., Drona's son and Bhima, both possessed of great prowess and might, began to shower their arrowy downpours like two masses of rain-charged clouds. Gold-winged arrows, whetted on stone and engraved with Bhima's name shrouded Drona's son, like gathering masses of clouds shrouding the sun. Similarly, Bhima was soon shrouded with hundreds and thousands of strong arrows shot by Drona's son. Though shrouded in that battle by Drona's son, that warrior of great skill, Bhima yet felt no pain, O monarch, which seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then the mighty-armed Bhima sped ten gold-decked arrows, of great keenness and resembling the darts of Yama himself, at his foe. Those shafts, O sire, failing upon the shoulders of Drona's son, quickly pierced his body, like snakes penetrating into an ant-hill. Deeply pierced by the high-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, closing his eyes, supported himself by seizing his flagstaff. Recovering
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his senses within a moment, O king, Drona's son bathed in blood, mustered all his wrath. Forcibly struck by the high-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, endued with mighty arms, rushed with great speed towards the car of Bhimasena. And then, O Bharata, he sped at Bhimasena, from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, a hundred arrows of fierce energy, all looking like snakes of virulent poison. Pandu's son Bhima also, proud of his prowess in battle, disregarding Aswatthaman's energy, speedily showered upon him dense arrowy downpour. Then Drona's son, O king, cutting off Bhima's bow by means of his arrows, and filled with rage, struck the Pandava in the chest with many keen shafts. Incapable of brooking that feat, Bhimasena took up another bow and pierced Drona's son in that battle with five keen shafts. Indeed, showering upon each other their arrowy downpours like two masses of clouds at the close of summer, two warriors, with eyes red as copper in rage, completely covered each other in that battle with their shafts. Frightening each other with the terrible sounds they made by their palms, they continued to fight with each other, each counteracting the feats of the other. Then bending his formidable bow adorned with gold, Drona's son began to gaze steadfastly at Bhima who was thus shooting his shafts at him. At that time, Aswatthaman looked like the meridian sun of blazing rays in an autumnal day. So quickly then did he shoot his shafts that people could not see when he took them out of his quiver when he fixed them on the bowstring when he drew the string, and when he let them off. Indeed, when employed in shooting his arrows, his bow, O monarch, seemed to be incessantly drawn to fiery circle. Shafts in a hundred thousands, shot from his bow, seemed to course through the welkin like a flight of locusts. Indeed, those terrible shafts adorned with gold, shot from the bow of Drona's son, coursed incessantly towards Bhima's car. The prowess, O Bharata, that we then beheld of Bhimasena, and his might, energy, and spirit, were exceedingly wonderful, for, regarding that terrible shower of arrows thick as a gathering mass of clouds, failing around him to be nothing more than a downpour of rain at the close of summer. Bhima of terrible prowess, desirous of slaying the son of Drona, in return poured his arrows upon the latter like a cloud in the season of rains. Bhima's large and formidable bow of golden back, incessantly drawn in that battle, looked resplendent like a second bow of Indra. Shafts in hundreds and thousands, issuing from it, shrouded Drona's son, that ornament of battle in that encounter. The showers of shafts, shot by both of them were so dense, O sire, that the very wind, O king, could not find room for coursing through them. Then Drona's son, O king, desirous of slaying Bhima, sped at him many gold-decked arrows of keen points steeped in oil. Showing his superiority to Drona's son Bhimasena cut off each of those arrows into three fragments before they could come at him. The son of Pandu then said, 'Wait Wait.' And once more, the mighty son of Pandu filled with rage, and desirous of slaying the son of Drona, shot at him a terrible shower of fierce arrows. Then Drona's son that warrior acquainted with the highest weapons, quickly destroying that arrowy shower by the illusion of
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his own weapons, cut off Bhima's bow in that encounter. Filled with rage, he then pierced Bhima himself with innumerable shafts in that battle. Endued with great might, Bhima then, after his bow had been cut off, hurled a dart at Aswatthaman's car, having whirled it previously with great impetuosity. The son of Drona, displaying the lightness of his hand in that encounter, quickly cut off, by means of sharp shafts, that dart as it coursed towards him with the splendour of a blazing brand. Meanwhile, terrible Vrikodara, taking up a very strong bow, and smiling the while, began to pierce the son of Drona with many arrows. Then Drona's son, O monarch, with a straight shaft, pierced the forehead of Bhima's driver. The latter, deeply pierced by the mighty son of Drona, fell into a swoon, O king, abandoning the reins of the steeds. The driver of the Bhima's car having fallen into a swoon, the steeds, O king, began to fly away with great speed, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Beholding Bhima carried away from the field of battle by those running steeds, the unvanquished Aswatthaman joyfully blew his huge conch. Beholding Bhimasena borne away from the field, all the Panchalas, inspired with fear, abandoning the car of Dhrishtadyumna, fled away on every side. Then Drona's son, shooting his shafts fiercely, pursued those broken troops, causing a great carnage among them. Thus slaughtered in battle by the son of Drona, those Kshatriyas fled away in all directions from fear of that warrior.
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that force broken, Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, of immeasurable soul, proceeded against Aswatthaman from desire of slaying him. Those troops then, O king, rallied with effort by Govinda and Arjuna, stayed on the field of battle. Only Vibhatsu, supported by the Somakas and the Matsyas, shot his arrows at the Kauravas and checked their onset. 1 Quickly approaching Aswatthaman, that great bowman having the mark of the lion's tail on his banner, Arjuna addressed him, saying, 'Show me now the might thou hast, the energy, the knowledge, and the manliness, that are in thee, as also thy affection for the Dhartarashtras and thy hatred for us, and the high mettle of which thou art capable. Even Prishata's son, that slayer of Drona, will quell thy pride today. Come now and encounter the Panchala prince, that hero resembling the Yuga fire and like the Destroyer himself with Govinda. Thou hast displayed thy pride in battle, but I shall quell that pride of thine.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'The preceptor's son, O Sanjaya, is possessed of might and worthy of respect. He beareth great love to Dhananjaya and the high-souled Dhananjaya also loveth him in return. Vibhatsu had never addressed Drona's son before in this way. Why then did the son of Kunti address his friend in such words?'
"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of the youthful prince of the Chedis, of Vrihatkshatra of Puru's race, and of Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas, who was well-accomplished in the science of arms, and upon the defeat of Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki and Bhima, and feeling great pain and touched
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to the quick by those words of Yudhishthira, and remembering a his former woes, O lord, Vibhatsu, in consequence of his grief, felt such wrath rise within him the like of which he had never experienced before. It was for this that like a vulgar person, he addressed the preceptor's son who was worthy of every respect, in such unworthy, indecent, bitter, and harsh language. Addressed, from wrath, in such harsh and cruel words by Partha, O king, Drona's son, that foremost of all mighty bowmen, became highly angry with Partha and especially with Krishna. The valiant Aswatthaman, then, staying resolutely on his car, touched water and invoked the Agneya weapon incapable of being resisted by the very gods. Aiming at all his visible and invisible foes, the preceptor's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, inspired with mantras a blazing shaft possessed of the effulgence of a smokeless fire, and let it off on all sides, filled with rage. Dense showers of arrows then issued from it in the welkin. Endued with fiery flames, those arrows encompassed Partha on all sides. Meteors flashed down from the firmament. A thick gloom suddenly shrouded the (Pandava) host. All the points of the compass also were enveloped by that darkness. Rakshasas and Pisachas, crowding together, uttered fierce cries. Inauspicious winds began to blow. The sun himself no longer gave any heat. Ravens fiercely croaked on all sides. Clouds roared in the welkin, showering blood. Birds and beasts and kine, and Munis of high vows and souls under complete control, became exceedingly uneasy. The very elements seemed to be perturbed. The sun seemed to turn. The universe, scorched with heat, seemed to be in a fever. The elephants and other creatures of the land, scorched by the energy of that weapon, ran in fright, breathing heavily and desirous of protection against that terrible force. The very waters heated, the creatures residing in that element, O Bharata, became exceedingly uneasy and seemed to burn. From all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, from the firmament and the very earth, showers of sharp and fierce arrows fell and issued with the impetuosity of Garuda or the wind. Struck and burnt by those shafts of Aswatthaman that were all endued with the impetuosity of the thunder, the hostile warriors fell down like trees burnt down by a raging fire. Huge elephants, burnt by that weapon, fell down on the earth all around, uttering fierce cries loud as the rumblings of the clouds. Other huge elephants, scorched by that fire, ran hither and thither, and roared aloud in fear, as if in the midst of a forest conflagration. The steeds, O king, and the cars also, burnt by the energy of that weapon, looked, O sire, like the tops of trees burnt in a forest-fire. Thousands of cars fell down on all sides. Indeed, O Bharata, it seemed that the divine lord Agni burnt the (Pandava) host in that battle, like the Samvarta fire consuming everything at the end of the Yuga.
'Beholding the Pandava army thus burning in that dreadful battle, thy soldiers, O king, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts. Indeed, the combatants, desirous of victory and filled with joy, speedily blew thousands of trumpets, O Bharata, of diverse kinds. Darkness having enveloped
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the world during that fierce battle, the entire Pandava army, with Savyasachin, the son of Panda, could not be seen. We had never before, O king, heard of or seen the like of that weapon which Drona's son created in wrath on that occasion. Then Arjuna, O king, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon, capable of baffling every other weapon, as ordained by the Lotus-born (Brahma) himself. Within a moment that darkness was dispelled, cool winds began to blow, and all the points of the compass became clear and bright. We then beheld a wonderful sight, viz., a full Akshauhini (of the Pandava troops) laid low. Burnt by the energy of Aswatthaman's weapon, the forms of the slain could not be distinguished. Then those two heroic and mighty bowmen, viz., Kesava and Arjuna, freed from that darkness, were seen together, like the sun and the moon in the firmament. Indeed, the wielder of Gandiva and Kesava were both unwounded. Equipped with its banners and standards and steeds, with the Anukarsa unjoined; and with all the mighty weapons stored on it remaining uninjured, that car, so terrible to thy warriors, freed from that darkness, shone resplendent on the field. And soon there arose diverse sounds of life mingled with the blare of conchs and the beat of drums, from among the Pandava troops filled with joy. Both hosts thought that Kesava and Arjuna had perished Beholding Kesava and Arjuna, therefore (freed from darkness and the energy of that weapon) and seeing that reappear so quickly, the Pandavas were filled with joy, and the Kauravas with wonder. Unwounded and full of cheerfulness, those two heroes blew their excellent conchs. Indeed, seeing Partha filled with joy, thy soldiers became exceedingly melancholy. Seeing those two high-souled ones (viz., Kesava and Arjuna), freed (from the energy of his weapon) the son of Drona became very cheerless. For a moment he reflected, O sire, on what had happened. And having reflected, O king, he became filled with anxiety and grief. Breathing long and hot sighs, he became exceedingly cheerless. Laying aside his bow, then, the son of Drona speedily alighted from his car, and saying, 'O fie, fie! Every thing is untrue,' he ran away from the fight. On his way he met Vyasa, the abode of Saraswati, the compiler of the Vedas, the habitation of those scriptures, unstained by sin, and of the hue of rain-charged cloud. Beholding him, that perpetuator of Kura's race, standing on his way, the son of Drona with voice choked in grief, and like one exceedingly cheerless, saluted him and said, 'O sire, O sire, is this an illusion, or is it a caprice (on the part of the weapon)? I do not know what it is. Why, indeed, hath my weapon become fruitless? What breach (has there been in the method of invocation)? Or, is it something abnormal, or, is it a victory over Nature (achieved by the two Krishnas) since they are yet alive? It seems that Time is irresistible. Neither Asuras, nor Gandharvas, nor Pisachas, nor Rakshasas, nor Uragas, Yakshas, and birds, nor human beings, can venture to baffle this weapon shot by me. This fiery weapon, however, having slain only one Akshauhini of troops, hath been pacified. This exceedingly fierce weapon shot by me is capable of slaying all creatures.
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[paragraph continues] For what reason then could it not slay Kesava and Arjuna, both of whom are endued with the attributes of humanity? Asked by me, O holy one, answer me truly. O great Muni, I desire to hear all this in detail.'
"Vyasa said, 'O highly significant is this matter that thou enquirest of me from surprise. I will tell thee everything; listen attentively. He that is called Narayana is older than the oldest ones. For accomplishing some purpose, that creator of the universe took his birth as the son of Dharma. On the mountain of Himavat he underwent the severest ascetic austerities. Endued with mighty energy, and resembling fire or the sun (in splendour), he stood there with arms upraised. Possessed of eyes like: lotus-petals, he emaciated himself there for sixty-six thousand years, subsisting all the while upon air alone. Once more undergoing severe austerities of another kind for twice that period, he filled the space between earth and heaven with his energy. When by those austerities, O sire, he became: like Brahma 1 he then beheld the Master, Origin, and Guardian of the Universe, the Lord of all the gods, the Supreme Deity, who is exceedingly difficult of being gazed at, who is minuter than the minutest and larger than, the largest, who is called Rudra, 2 who is the lord of all the superior ones, who is called Hara and Sambhu, who has matted locks on his head, who is the infuser of life into every form, who is the First cause of all immobile: and mobile things, who is irresistible and of frightful aspect, who is of fierce wrath and great Soul, who is the All-destroyer, and of large heart; who beareth the celestial bow and a couple of quivers, who is cased in golden armour, and whose energy is infinite, who holdeth Pinaka, who is; armed with thunderbolt, a blazing trident, battle axe, mace, and a large sword; whose eye-brows are fair, whose locks are matted, who wieldeth the heavy short club, who hath the moon on his forehead, who is clad in tiger-skin, and who is armed with the bludgeon; who is decked with beautiful angadas, who hath snakes for his sacred thread, and who is surrounded by diverse creatures of the universe and by numerous ghosts and spirits, who is the One, who is the abode of ascetic austerities, and who is highly adored by persons of venerable age; who is Water, Heaven, Sky, Earth, Sun, Moon, Wind and Fire, and who is the measure of the duration of the universe. Persons of wicked behaviour can never obtain a sight of that unborn one, that slayer of all haters of Brahmanas, that giver of emancipation. 3 Only Brahmanas of righteous conduct, when cleansed of their sins and freed from the control of grief, behold him with their mind's eye. In consequence of his ascetic austerities, Narayana obtained a sight of that unfading one, that embodiment of righteousness, that adorable one, that Being having the universe for his form. Beholding that
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supreme Abode of all kinds of splendour, that God with a garland of Akshas round his neck, Vasudeva, with gratified soul, became filled with delight which he sought to express by words, heart, understanding, and body. Then Narayana worshipped that Divine Lord, that First cause of the universe, that giver of boons, that puissant one sporting with the fair-limbed Parvati, that high-souled Being surrounded by large bands of ghosts, spirits, that Unborn one, that Supreme Lord, that Embodiment of the unmanifest, that Essence of all causes, that One of unfading power. Having saluted Rudra, that destroyer of the Asura Andhaka, the lotus eyed Narayana, with emotion filling his heart, began to praise the Three-eyed one (in these words), 'O adorable one, O first of all the gods, the creator of everything (viz., the Prajapatis) who are the regents of the world, and who having entered the earth,--thy first work,--had, O lord, protected it before, have all sprung from thee. Gods, Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas, Pisachas, human beings, birds, Gandharvas, Yakshas and other creatures: with the entire universe, we know, have all sprung from thee. Everything that is done for propitiating Indra, and Yama, and Varuna, and Kuvera and Pitris and Tvashtri, and Soma, is really offered to thee. Form and light, sound and sky, wind and touch, taste and water, scent and earth, 1 time, Brahma himself, the Vedas, the Brahmanas and all these mobile objects, have sprung from thee. Vapours rising from diverse receptacles of water, becoming rain-drops, which failing upon the earth, are separated from one another. When the time of the Universal dissolution comes those individual drops, separated from one another, once more unite together and make the earth one vast expanse of water. He that is learned, thus observing the origin and the destruction, of all things, understands thy oneness. Two birds (viz., Iswara and Jiva), four Aswatthas with their wordy branches (viz., the Vedas), the seven guardians (viz., the five essences or elements and the heart and the understanding), and the ten others that hold this city (viz., the ten senses that constitute the body), have all been created by thee, but thou art separate from and independent of them. The Past, the Future, and the Present, over each of which none can have any sway, are from thee, as also the seven worlds and this universe. I am thy devoted adorer,--be graceful unto me. Do not injure me, by causing evil thoughts to penetrate my heart. Thou art the Soul of souls, incapable of being known. He that knows thee as the Universal Seed, attaineth to Brahma. Desiring to pay thee respects, I am praising thee, endeavouring to ascertain thy real nature, O thou that art incapable of being understood by the very gods. Adored by me, grant me the boons I desire but which are difficult of acquisition. Do not hide thyself in thy illusion.'
"Vyasa continued, 'The blue-throated God, of inconceivable soul, that wielder of Pinaka, that divine Lord ever praised by the Rishis, then gave boons unto Vasudeva who deserved them all. The great God said,
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[paragraph continues] 'O Narayana, through my grace, amongst men, gods, and Gandharvas, thou shalt be of immeasurable might and soul. Neither gods, nor Asuras, nor great Uragas, nor Pisachas, nor Gandharvas, nor men, nor Rakshasas, nor birds, nor Nagas, nor any creatures in the Universe, shall ever be able to bear thy prowess. No one amongst even the celestials shall be able to vanquish thee in battle. Through my grace, none shall ever be able to cause thee pain by the weapon of thunderbolt or with any object that is wet or dry, or with any mobile or immobile thing. Thou shalt be superior to myself if thou ever goest to battle against me.' Thus were these boons acquired by Sauri in days of yore. Even that God now walketh the earth (as Vasudeva), beguiling the universe by his illusion. From Narayana's asceticism was born a great Muni of the name of Nara, equal to Narayana himself. Know that Arjuna is none else than that Nara. Those two Rishis, said to be older than the oldest gods, take their births in every Yuga for serving the purposes of the world. Thyself also, O thou of great heart, hast been born as a portion of Rudra, by virtue of all thy religious acts and as a consequence of high ascetic austerities, endued with great energy and wrath. Thou wert (in a former life) endued with great wisdom and equal to a god. Regarding the universe to consist only of Mahadeva, thou hadst emaciated thyself by diverse vows from desire of gratifying that God. Assuming the form of a very superior person, that blazes fourth with splendour, thou hast, O giver of honours, worshipped the great god with mantras, with homa, and with offerings. Thus adored by thee in thy former life, the great god became gratified with thee, and granted thee numerous boons, O learned one, that thou hadst cherished in thy heart. Like Kesava's and Arjuna's thy birth acts, and ascetic austerities are also superior. Like them, in thy worship, thou hast, in every Yuga, adored the great God in his Phallic form. Kesava is that devoted worshipper of Rudra who has sprung from Rudra himself. Kesava always worship the Lord Siva, regarding his Phallic emblem to be the origin of the universe. In Kesava is always present that knowledge, in consequence of which he views the identity of Brahman with the: universe and that other knowledge by which the Past, the Present and the Future, the near and the remote, are all seen, as if the whole are before his eyes. The gods, the Siddhas and the great Rishis, adore Kesava for obtaining that highest object in the universe, viz., Mahadeva. Kesava is the creator of everything. The Eternal Krishna should be adored with sacrifices. The Lord Kesava always worshippeth Siva in the Phallic emblem as the origin of all creatures. The God having the bull for his mark cherisheth greater regard for Kesava.'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Vyasa, Drona's son, that mighty car-warrior, bowed unto Rudra and regarded Kesava as worthy of the highest regards. Having his soul under complete control, he became filled with delight, the marks whereof appeared on his body. Bowing unto the great Rishi, Aswatthaman then, casting his eyes on the (Kuru) army, caused it-to be withdrawn (for nightly rest). Indeed, when, after
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the fall of Drona, the cheerless Kurus retired from the field, the Pandavas also, O monarch, caused their army to be withdrawn. Having fought for five days and caused an immense carnage, that Brahman well-versed in the Vedas, viz., Drona, repaired, O king, to the region of Brahma!'."

 

SECTION CCII

"Dhritarashtra said, Upon the slaughter of the Atiratha, viz., Drona, by Prishata's son, what did my sons and the Pandavas next do?'
"Sanjaya, said, 'After the rout of the Kuru army, upon the slaughter of that Atiratha, viz., Drona, by Prishata's son, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti beholding a wonderful phenomenon in connection with his own victory, asked Vyasa, O bull of Bharata's race, who came thither in course of his wanderings, saying, 'O great Rishi, while I was engaged in slaying the foe in battle with showers of bright shafts, I continually beheld before me, proceeding in advance of my car, a person of blazing hue, as if endued with the effulgence of fire. Whithersoever he proceeded with his uplifted lance, all the hostile warriors were seen to break before him. Broken in reality by him, people regarded the foe to have been broken by me. Following in his wake, I only destroyed those, already destroyed by him. O holy one, tell me who was that foremost of persons, armed with lance, resembling the sun himself in energy, that was thus seen by me? He did not touch the earth with his feet, nor did he hurl his lance even once. In consequence of his energy, thousands of lances issued out of that one lance held by him.'
"Vyasa said, 'Thou hast, O Arjuna, seen Sankara, that First cause from which have sprung the Prajapatis, that puissant Being endued with great energy, he that is the embodiment of heaven, earth and sky, the Divine Lord, the protector of the universe, the great Master, the giver of boons, called also Isana. O, seek the protection of that boon, giving Deity, that lord of the universe. He is called Mahadeva (the Supreme Deity), of Supreme Soul, the one only Lord, with matted locks (on head), the abode of auspiciousness. Of three eyes and mighty arms, he is called Rudra, with his locks tied in the shape of a crown, and his body attired in skins. That boon-giving lord of the universe, that Supreme Deity, is also called Hara and Sthanu. He is the foremost of every being in the universe, he is incapable of being vanquished, he is the delighter of the universe and its supreme ruler. The first cause, the light and refuge of the universe, he is ever victorious. The Soul and the creator of the universe, and having the universe for his form, he is possessed of great fame. The Lord of the universe, and its great Ruler, that puissant one, is also the master of all actions. Called also Sambhu, he is self-born, he is the lord of all creatures,
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and the origin of the Past, the Future, and the Present. He is Yoga and the lord of Yoga; he is called Sarva, and is the Lord of all the worlds. He is superior to everything. The foremost of everything in the universe, and the highest of all, he is called also Parumesthin. The Ordainer of the three worlds, he is the sole refuge of the three worlds. Incapable of being vanquished, he is the protector of the universe, and abode (the necessity of) birth, decay, and death. The Soul of knowledge, incapable of being compassed by knowledge, and the highest of all knowledge he is unknowable. Through grace, he giveth unto his worshippers the boons they desire. That Lord hath for his companions celestial beings of diverse forms, some of whom are dwarfs, some having matted locks, some with bald heads, some with short necks, some with large stomachs, some with huge bodies, some possessed of great strength and some of long ears. All of them, O Partha, have deformed faces and mouths and legs and strange attires. That Supreme Deity, called Mahadeva, is worshipped by followers that are even such. Even that Siva, O son, endued with such energy, proceedeth through kindness, in advance of thee. In that fierce battle, O Partha, making the very hair stand on end, who else, O Arjuna, than the divine Maheswara, that foremost of all bowmen, that Deity of divine form, could even in imagination venture to vanquish that force which was protected by those great smiters and bowmen, viz., Aswatthaman and Karna and Kripa? None can venture to stay before the warrior that hath Maheswara walking before him. There is no being in the three worlds that is equal to him. And the very scent of the enraged Mahadeva, foes in battle tremble and become senseless and fall in large numbers. For this, the gods in heaven adore and bow to him. Those men in this world and those other men of pious conduct, that devoutly worship the boon-giving, divine, and auspicious Rudra, obtain happiness here and attain to the highest state hereafter. O son of Kunti, bow down unto him that is peace, unto him, called Rudra of blue throat, exceedingly subtle, and of great effulgence, unto him called Kapardin, him that is terrible, him that of tawny eyes, him that is boon-giving; unto that great ordainer, of red locks and righteous conduct; unto him that always does auspicious acts; unto him that is an object of desire; him that is of tawny eyes; him that is called Sthanu; him that is called Purusha; unto him that is of tawny hair; him that is bold, him that is exceedingly subtle and of great effulgence; unto him that is the giver of light; him that is the embodiment of all sacred waters; him that is the God of gods; and him that is endued with great impetuosity; unto him that is of manifest form; him that is called Sarva; him that is of agreeable attire; unto him that has an excellent head-gear, him that is of handsome face; him that has the mountains for his habitation; him that is peace; him that is the protector; him that has barks of trees for his attire; him whose arms are decked with ornaments of gold, him who is fierce, him that is the lord of all the points of the compass; him that is the lord of the clouds and of all created beings; him that is the lord of all trees and of all kine; him that
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has his body shrouded with trees; him who is the celestial generalissimo; him who inspires all thought; him who has the sacrificial ladle in his hand; him who is blazing; him who wields the bow; him who is Rama's self, him who has diverse forms; him who is the lord of the universe; him who had the munja grass for his attire; him who has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand arms, and a thousand legs. O son of Kunti, seek the protection of that boon-giving Lord of the universe, the lord of Uma, that God of three eyes, that destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice; that guardian of all created things, that being who is always cheerful, that protector of all beings, that God of unfading glory; that one with matted locks; that mover of all superior beings, that one whose navel is like that of a bull and who hath the bull for his symbol; that one who is proud like the bull, who is the lord of bulls; who is represented by the horns of the bull; and who is the bull of bulls; that one who hath the image of the bull on his banner; who is liberal to all righteous persons; who can be approached by Yoga only; and whose eyes are like those of a bull; who owneth very superior weapons: who hath Vishnu himself for his arrow; who is the embodiment of righteousness; and who is called Maheswara; who is of vast stomach and vast body; who hath a leopard's skin for his seat; who is the lord of the worlds; who is devoted to Brahma and who loveth Brahmanas; who is armed with trident; who is boon-giving; who wieldeth the sword and the shield, and who is highly auspicious, who wieldeth the bow called Pinaka, who is divested of the battle axe, 1 and who is the protector and lord of the universe. I place myself in the hands of that divine Lord, that grantor of protection, that God attired in deer-skins. Salutations, to that Lord of the celestials who hath Vaisravana for his friend. Salutations ever to him of excellent vows; to him who hath excellent bowmen for his companions; to him who himself wieldeth the bow; to that God with whom the bow is a favourite weapon; who is himself the shaft impelled by the bow; who is the bowstring and the bow; and the preceptor teaching the use of the bow. Salutations to the God whose weapons are fierce; and who is the foremost of all the gods. Salutations to him of diverse forms; to him who hath many bowmen around him. Salutations ever to him who is called Sthanu and who has a large number of excellent bowmen for his companions. Salutations to him who destroyed the triple city. Salutations to him who slew (the Asura) Bhaga. Salutations to him who is the lord of trees and of men. Salutations to him who is the lord of the (celestial), Mothers, and of those tribes of spirits known by the name of Ganas. Salutations ever to him who is the lord of kine and of sacrifices. Salutations ever to him who is the lord of the waters and the lord of the gods, who is the destroyer of Surya's teeth, who is of three eyes, who is the grantor of boons; who is called Hara, who is blue-throated, and who is of golden locks. I will now tell thee, according to my knowledge and as I have heard of them, all the divine deeds of Mahadeva of Supreme wisdom. If
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[paragraph continues] Mahadeva becomes angry, neither gods, nor Asuras, Gandharvas, nor Rakshasas, even if they hide themselves in deep oceans, can have peace. In the days of yore, Daksha, for performing a sacrifice, had collected the necessary articles. Mahadeva destroyed that sacrifice in wrath. Indeed, He became very stern on that occasion. Shooting an arrow from his bow, he uttered terrible roars. The celestials then became filled with anxiety and fright. Indeed, when Mahadeva became angry and the Sacrifice (in its embodied form) fled away, the gods became exceedingly frightened at the twang of Mahadeva's bow and the sound of his palms. The gods and Asuras all fell down and submitted to Mahadeva. All the waters swelled up in agitations and the earth trembled. The mountains split, and all the points of the compass and the Nagas became stupefied. The universe, enveloped in a thick darkness, could no longer be seen. The splendour of all luminaries, with the sun was destroyed. The Rishis, filled with fear, became agitated, and desirous of their own good as also of all creatures, performed propitiatory rites. Surya was then eating the principal oblation. Smilingly Sankara approached him and tore out his teeth. The gods then, humbling themselves to him, fled away, trembling. Once more, Mahadeva aimed at the gods a shower of blazing and keen arrows resembling flames of fire mixed with smoke, or clouds with lightning. Beholding that arrowy shower, all the gods bowing down unto Maheswara, assigned to Rudra a substantial share in sacrifices. In fright, the gods, O prince, sought his protection. His wrath being dispelled, the great God then restored the sacrifice. The gods that had fled away came back. Indeed, they are to this day afraid of Maheswara. Formerly, the valiant Asuras had, in heaven, three cities. Each of those cities was excellent and large. One was made of iron, another of silver, and the third of gold. The golden city belonged to Kamalaksha, the silver city to Tarakaksha, and the third, made of iron, had Vidyunmalin for its lord. With all his weapons, Maghavat (Indra) was unable to make any impression on those cities. Afflicted (by the Asuras), all the gods sought the protection of Rudra. Approaching him, all the gods with Vasava at their head, said, 'These terrible dwellers of the triple city have received boons from Brahma. Filled with pride in consequence of those boons, they are greatly afflicting the universe, O Lord of the gods, none, save thee, is competent to slay them. Therefore, O Mahadeva, slay these enemies of the gods: O Rudra, creatures slain in every sacrifice shall then be thine. Thus addressed by the gods, Mahadeva thus accepted their request, moved by the desire of benefiting them, and said, 'I will overthrow these Asuras. And Hara made the two mountains, viz., Gandhamadana and Vindhya, the two poles of his car. And Sankara made the earth with her oceans and forests his battle car. And the three-eyed deity made that prince of snakes, viz., Sesha, the Aksha, of that car. And that God of gods, the wielder of Pinaka, made the moon and the sun the two wheels of that vehicle. And the triple-eyed Lord made Elapatra and Pushpadanta, the two pins of the yoke. And the valiant Mahadeva made the Malaya mountains the yoke, and the great Takshaka
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the string for tying the yoke to the poles, and the creatures about him the traces of the steed. And Maheswara made the four Vedas his four steeds. And that lord of the three worlds made the supplementary Vedas the bridle-bits. And Mahadeva made Gayatri and Savitri the reins, the syllable Om the whip, and Brahma the driver. And making the Mandara mountains the bow, Vasuki the bowstring, Vishnu his excellent shaft, Agni the arrow-head, and Vayu the two wings of that shafts, Yama the feathers in its tail, lightning the whetting stone, and Meru the standard, Siva, riding on that excellent car which was composed of all the celestial forces, proceeded for the destruction of the triple city. Indeed, Sthanu, that foremost of smiter, that Destroyer of Asuras, that handsome warrior of immeasurable prowess, adored by the celestials, O Partha, and by Rishis possessing wealth of asceticism, caused an excellent and unrivalled array called after his own name, and stood immovable for a thousand years. When, however, the three cities came together in the firmament, the lord Mahadeva. pierced them with that terrible shaft of his, consisting of three knots. The Danavas were unable to gaze at that shafts inspired with Yuga-fire and composed of Vishnu and Soma. While the triple city commenced to burn, the goddess Parvati repaired thither to behold the sight. She had then on her lap, a child having a bald head with five clumps of hair on it. The goddess asked the deities as to who that child was. Sakra, through ill-feeling endeavoured to strike that child with his thunderbolt. The divine lord Mahadeva (for the child was none other), smiling, quickly paralysed the arm of the enraged Sakra. Then god Sakra, with his arm paralysed accompanied by all the celestials, speedily repaired to the lord Brahma of unfading glory. Bowing unto him with their heads, they addressed Brahma with joined hands and said, 'Some wonderful creature, O Brahma, lying on the lap of Parvati, in the form of a child, was behold by us but not saluted. We have all been vanquished by him. We, therefore, desire to ask thee as to who he may be. Indeed, that boy, without fighting, hath with the greatest ease vanquished us all with Purandara at our head.' Hearing these words of theirs, Brahma. that foremost of all persons, acquainted with Brahma, reflected for a moment and understood that boy of immeasurable energy to be none else than the divine Sambhu, Addressing then, those foremost of celestials with Sakra at their head, Brahma said, 'That child is the divine Hara the Lord of the entire mobile and immobile universe. There is nothing superior to Maheswara. That Being of immeasurable splendour who was beheld by you all with Uma, that divine lord, had assumed the form of a child for Uma's sake. Let us all go unto him. That divine and illustrious one is the Supreme Lord of the world. Ye gods, ye could not recognise that master of the universe.' Then all the gods with the Grandsire repaired to that child, endued with the effulgence of the morning sun. Beholding Maheswara, and knowing that he was the Supreme Being, the Grandsire Brahma thus adored him: Thou art Sacrifice, O lord, thou art the stay and refuge of the universe. Thou art Bhava, thou art Mahadeva, thou art the abode (of all things),
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and thou art the highest refuge. This whole universe with its mobile and immobile creatures, is pervaded by thee. O holy one, O lord of the past and the future, O lord of the world, O protector of the universe, let Sakra, afflicted with thy wrath, have thy grace.'
"Vyasa continued, 'Hearing these words of the lotus-born Brahma, Maheswara became gratified. Desirous of extending his grace, he laughed aloud. The celestials then gratified (with praise) both Uma and Rudra. The arm of the thunder-wielding Sakra re-got its natural state. That foremost one of all the gods, that destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, that divine lord having the bull for his sign, became gratified with the gods. He is Rudra he is Siva, he is Agni, he is everything, and he hath knowledge of everything. He is Indra, he is the Wind, he is the twin Aswins, and he is the lighting. He is Bhava, he is Parjanya, he is Mahadeva, he is sinless. He is the Moon, he is Isana, he is Surya, he is Varuna. He is Kala, he is Antaka, he is Mrityu, he is Yama. 1 He is the day, and he is the night. He is the fortnight, he is the month, he is the seasons. He is the morning and evening-twilights, he is the year. He is Dhatri, he is Vidhatri, he is the Soul of the universe, and he is the doer of all acts in the universe. Though himself without body, it is he who is the embodied celestial. Endued with great splendour he is adored and praised by all the gods. He is One, he is Many, he is hundred and thousand. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas say that he hath two forms. These are the terrible and the auspicious. These two forms, again, are multifarious. His auspicious forms are water, light, and the moon. Whatever is highly mysterious in the several branches of the Vedas, in the Upanishads, in the Puranas, and in those sciences that deal with the soul, is that God, viz., Maheswara, Mahadeva is even such. That God is, again, without birth. All the attributes of that God are not capable of being enumerated by me even if, O son of Pandu, I were to recite them continually for a thousand years. Even unto those that are afflicted by all the evil planets, even unto those that are stained with every sin, that great protector, if they seek him, becomes gratified with them and granteth them salvation. He granteth, and taketh away life and health and prosperity and wealth and diverse kinds of objects of desire. The prosperity is his that is seen in Indra and other gods. He is ever engaged in the good and evil of men in this world. In consequence of his supremacy, he can always obtain whatever objects he desires. He is called Maheswara and is the lord of even the supreme ones. In many forms of many kinds he pervadeth the universe. The mouth which that God has is in the ocean. It is well-known that mouth, assuming the form of a mare's head, drinketh the sacrificial libation in the shape of water. This god always dwelleth in crematoriums. Men worship that Supreme lord in that place where none but the courageous can go. Many are the blazing and terrible forms of this God that men speak of and worship in the world. Many also are the names, of truthful import, of
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this Deity in all the worlds. Those names are founded upon his supremacy, his omnipotence, and his acts. In the Vedas the excellent hymn called Sata Rudriya, hath been sung in honour of that great God called the infinite Rudra. That God is the lord of all wishes that are human and heavenly. He is omnipotent, and he is the supreme master. Indeed, that God pervadeth the vast universe. The Brahmanas and the Munis describe him as the First-born of all creatures. He is the First of all the gods; from his mouth was born Vayu (the wind). And since he always protecteth the creatures (of the universe) and sporteth with them, and since also he is the lord of all creatures, therefore is he called Pasupati. And since his Phallic emblem is always supposed to be in the observance of the vow of Brahmacharya, and since he always gladden the world, therefore he is called Maheswara. The Rishis, the gods, the Gandharvas, and Apsaras, always worship his Phallic emblem which is supposed to stand upright. That worship maketh Maheswara glad. Indeed, Sankara (at such worship) becomes happy, pleased, and highly glad. And since with respect to the past, the future, and the present, that God has many forms, he is, on that account, called Vahurupa (many-formed). Possessed of one eye he blazeth forth in effulgence, or he may be regarded to have many eyes on every side of his body. And since, he possesseth the worlds, he is for that reason called Sarva. And since his form is like that of smoke, he is for that reason called Dhurjjati. And since those deities, viz., the Viswedevas are in him, he is for that reason called Viswarupa. And since three goddesses adore and have recourse to that Lord of the universe, viz., Firmament, Water and Earth, he is for that reason called Tryamvaka. And since he always increaseth all kinds of wealth and wisheth the good of mankind in all their acts, he is for that reason called Siva. He possesseth a thousand eyes, or ten thousand eyes, and hath them on all sides. And since he protecteth this vast universe, he is for that reason called Mahadeva. And since he is great and ancient and is the source of life and of its continuance, and since his Phallic emblem is everlasting, he is for that reason called Sthanu. And since the solar and the lunar rays of light that appear in the world are spoken of as the hair on the Three-eyed one, he is for that reason called Vyomakesa. And since, afflicting Brahma and Indra and Varuna and Yama and Kuvera, he destroyeth them ultimately, he is for that reason called Hara. And since, he is the Past, the Future, and the Present, and, in fact, everything in the universe, and since he is the origin of the past, the future, and the present, he is for that reason called Bhava. The word Kapi is said to mean supreme, and Vrisha is said to mean righteousness. The illustrious God of gods, therefore, is called Vrishakapi. And since Maheswara by means of his two eyes closed (in meditation), created through sheer force of will a third eye on his forehead, he is for that reason called the Three-eyed. Whatever of unsoundness there is in the bodies of living creatures, and whatever of soundness there is in them, represent that God. He is the wind, the vital airs called Prana, Apana (and the others) in the bodies of all creatures, including even those
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that are diseased. He who adoreth any image of the Phallic emblem of that high-souled God, always obtaineth great prosperity by that act. Downwards fiery, and half the body, that is auspiciousness is the moon. His auspiciousness is the moon. So also half his soul is fire and half the moon. His auspicious from, full of energy, is more blazing than the forms of the gods. Among men, his blazing and terrible form is called fire. With that auspicious form he practiseth Brahmacharya. With that other terrible form he as supreme Lord devoureth everything. And since he burneth, since he is fierce, since he is endued with great prowess, and since he devoureth flesh and blood and marrow, he is for this called Rudra. Even such is the deity called Mahadeva, armed with Pinaka, who, O Partha, was seen by thee engaged in slaying thy foes in advance of thy car. After thou hadst vowed to slay the ruler of the Sindhus, O sinless one, Krishna showed thee this God, in thy dream, sitting on the top of that foremost of mountains. This illustrious God proceedeth in advance of thee in battle. It is he who gave thee those weapons with which thou didst slay the Danavas. The hymn approved of the Vedas, and called Sata-Rudriya, in honour of that God of gods, that excellent, famous, life-enhancing, and sacred hymn, has now, O Partha, been explained to thee. This hymn of four divisions, capable of accomplishing every object, is sacred, destructive of all sins, and competent to drive away all stains and to kill all sorrows and all fears. The men that always listen to this succeeds in vanquishing all his foes and is highly respected in the region of Rudra. The person who always attentively reads or listens to the recitation of this excellent and auspicious account, appertaining to battle, of the illustrious Deity, and he worships with devotion that illustrious Lord of the universe, obtaineth all the objects of desire, in consequence of the three-eyed God being gratified with him. Go and fight, O son of Kunti, defeat is not for thee, that hast Janardana. on thy side for thy adviser and protector.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Having addressed Arjuna in these words, the son of Parasara, O chief of the Bharatas, went away to the place he had come from, O chastiser of foes.'

 

 

 

SECTION CCIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Having battled fiercely for five days, O king, the Brahmana (Drona) endued with great strength, fell and repaired to the region of Brahma. The fruits that arise from a study of the Vedas arise from a study of this Parva also. The great achievements of brave Kshatriyas have been described here. He who readeth or listeneth to the recitation of this Parva every day is freed from heinous sins and the most atrocious acts of his life. Brahmanas may always obtain herefrom the fruits
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of sacrifices. From this, Kshatriyas may obtain victory in fierce battle. The other orders (Vaisyas and Sudras) may obtain desirable sons and grandsons and all objects of desire!'"

The end of Drona Parva.

(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Sreeman Brahmasri K M Ganguliji for the collection)