Vaisampayana said, "After Kripa had thus been taken away, the invincible
Drona of red steeds, taking up his bow to which he had already stringed
an arrow, rushed towards Arjuna of white steeds. And beholding at no
great distance from him the preceptor advancing on his golden car,
Arjuna that foremost of victorious warriors, addressing Uttara, said,
'Blessed be thou, O friend, carry me before that warrior on whose high
banner-top is seen a golden altar resembling a long flame of fire and
decked with numerous flags placed around, and whose car is drawn by
steeds that are red and large, exceedingly handsome and highly-trained,
of face pleasant and of quiet mien, and like unto corals in colour and
with faces of coppery hue, for that warrior is Drona with whom I desire
to fight. Of long arms and endued with mighty energy possessed of
strength and beauty of person, celebrated over all the worlds for his
prowess, resembling Usanas himself in intelligence and Vrihaspati in
knowledge of morality, he is conversant with the four _Vedas_ and
devoted to the practice of _Brahmacharya_ virtues. O friend, the use of
the celestial weapons together with the mysteries of their withdrawal
and the entire science of weapons, always reside in him. Forgiveness,
self-control, truth, abstention from injury, rectitude of
conduct,--these and countless other virtues always dwell in that
regenerate one. I desire to fight with that highly-blessed one on the
field. Therefore, take me before the preceptor and carry me thither, O
Uttara.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed by Arjuna, Virata's son urged
his steeds decked with gold towards the car of Bharadwaja's son. And
Drona also rushed towards the impetuously advancing Partha, the son of
Pandu,--that foremost of car-warriors,--like an infuriate elephant
rushing towards an infuriate compeer. And the son of Bharadwaja then
blew his conch whose blare resembled that of a hundred trumpets. And at
that sound the whole army become agitated like the sea in a tempest. And
beholding those excellent steeds red in hue mingling in battle with
Arjuna's steeds of swan-like whiteness endued with the speed of the
mind, all the spectators were filled with wonder. And seeing on the
field of battle those car-warriors--the preceptor Drona and his disciple
Partha--both endued with prowess, both invincible, both well-trained,
both possessed of great energy and great strength, engaged with each
other, that mighty host of the Bharatas began to tremble frequently. And
that mighty car-warrior Partha, possessed of great prowess and filled
with joy upon reaching Drona's car on his own, saluted the preceptor.
And that slayer of hostile heroes, the mighty armed son of Kunti, then
addressed Drona in an humble and sweet tone, saying, 'Having completed
our exile in the woods, we are now desirous of avenging our wrongs. Even
invincible in battle, it doth not behove thee to be angry with us. O
sinless one, I will not strike thee unless thou strikest me first. Even
this is my intention. It behoveth thee to act as thou choosest.' Thus
addressed Drona discharged at him more than twenty arrows. But the
light-handed Partha cut them off before they could reach him. And at
this, the mighty Drona, displaying his lightness of hand in the use of
weapons, covered Partha's car with a thousand arrows. And desirous of
angering, Partha, that hero of immeasurable soul, then covered his
steeds of silvery whiteness with arrows whetted on stone and winged with
the feathers of the _Kanka_ bird. And when the battle between Drona and
Kiritin thus commenced, both of them discharging in the encounter arrows
of blazing splendour, both well-known for their achievements, both equal
to the wind itself in speed, both conversant with celestial weapons, and
both endued with mighty energy, began shooting clouds of arrows to
bewilder the royal Kshatriyas. And all the warriors that were assembled
there were filled with wonder at sight of all this. And they all admired
Drona who quickly shot clouds of arrows exclaiming,--_Well done! Well
done_! Indeed, _who else save Phalguna, is worthy of fighting with Drona
in battle? Surely the duties of a Kshatriya are stern, for Arjuna
fighteth with even his own preceptor_!--And it was thus that they who
stood on the field of battle said unto one another. And inflamed with
fire, those mighty-armed heroes standing before other, and each
incapable of overcoming the other, covered each other with arrowy
showers. And Bharadwaja's son, waxing wroth, drew his large and
unconquerable bow plated on the back with gold, and pierced Phalguna
with his arrows. And discharging at Arjuna's car innumerable whetted
arrows possessed of solar effulgence, he entirely shrouded the light of
the sun. And that great car-warrior of mighty arms, violently pierced
Pritha's son with keen-edged shafts even as the clouds shower upon a
mountain. Then taking up that foremost of bows, the _Gandiva_,
destructive of foes and capable of withstanding the greatest strain, the
impetuous son of Pandu cheerfully discharged countless shafts of various
kinds adorned with gold, and that powerful warrior also baffled in a
moment Drona's arrowy shower by means of those shafts shot from his own
bow. And at this the spectators wondered greatly. And the handsome
Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, ranging on his car, displayed his weapons
on all sides at the same time. And the entire welkin covered with his
arrows, became one wide expanse of shade. And at this Drona become
invisible like the sun enveloped in mist. And shrouded by those
excellent arrows on all sides, Drona looked like a mountain on fire. And
beholding his own car completely enveloped by the arrows of Pritha's
son, Drona that ornament of battle, bent his terrible and foremost of
bows whose noise was as loud as that of the clouds. And drawing that
first of weapons, which was like unto a circle of fire, he discharged a
cloud of keen-edged shafts. And then there were heard on the field loud
sounds like the splitting of bamboos set on fire. And that warrior of
immeasurable soul, shooting from his bow arrows furnished with golden
wings, covered all sides, shrouding the very light of the sun. And those
arrows with knots well-peeled off, and furnished with golden wings,
looked like flocks of birds in the sky. And the arrows discharged by
Drona from his bow, touching one another at the wings, appeared like one
endless line in the sky. And those heroes, thus discharging their arrows
decked with gold, seemed to cover the sky with showers of meteors. And
furnished with feathers of the _Kanka_ bird, those arrows looked like
rows of cranes ranging in the autumnal sky. And the fierce and terrible
encounter that took place between the illustrious Drona and Arjuna
resembled that between Virata and Vasava of old. And discharging arrows
at each other from bows drawn at their fullest stretch, they resembled
two elephants assailing each other with their tusks. And those wrathful
warriors--those ornaments of battle--fighting strictly according to
established usage, displayed in that conflict various celestial weapons
in due order. Then that foremost of victorious men, Arjuna, by means of
his keen shafts resisted the whetted arrows shot by that best of
preceptors. And displaying before the spectators various weapons, that
hero of terrible prowess covered the sky with various kinds of arrows.
And beholding that tiger among men, Arjuna, endued with fierce energy
and intent upon striking him, that foremost of warriors and best of
preceptors (from affection) began to fight with him playfully by means
of smooth and straight arrows. And Bharadwaja's son fought on with
Phalguna, resisting with his own the celestial weapons shot by the
former. And the fight that took place between those enraged lions among
men, incapable of bearing each other, was like unto encounter between
the gods and the _Danavas_. And the son of Pandu repeatedly baffled with
his own, the _Aindra_, the _Vayavya_, and the _Agneya_ weapons that were
shot by Drona. And discharging keen shafts, those mighty bowmen, by
their arrowy showers completely covered the sky and made a wide expanse
of shade. And then the arrows shot by Arjuna, falling on the bodies of
hostile warriors, produced the crash of thunderbolt. O king, elephants,
cars, and horses, bathed in blood, looked like _Kinsuka_ trees crowned
with flowers. And in that encounter between Drona and Arjuna, beholding
the field covered with arms decked with bangles, and gorgeously-attired
car-warriors, and coats of mail variegated with gold, and with banners
lying scattered all about, and with warriors slain by means of Partha's
arrows, the Kuru host became panic-stricken. And shaking their bows
capable of bearing much strain, those combatants began to shroud and
weaken each other with their shafts. And, O bull of the Bharata race,
the encounter that took place between Drona and Kunti's son was dreadful
in the extreme and resembled that between Vali and Vasava. And staking
their very lives, they began to pierce each other straight arrows shot
from their fully-stretched bow-strings. And a voice was heard in the sky
applauding Drona, and saying, 'Difficult is the feat performed by Drona,
inasmuch as he fighteth with Arjuna,--that grinder of foes, that warrior
endued with mighty energy, of firm grasp, and invincible in
battle,--that conqueror of both celestials and _Daityas_, that foremost
of all car-warriors.' And beholding Partha's infallibility, training,
fleetness of hand, and the range also of Arjuna's, arrows, Drona became
amazed. And, O bull of the Bharata race, lifting up his excellent bow,
the _Gandiva_, the unforbearing Partha drew it now with one hand and now
with another shot an arrowy shower. And beholding that shower resembling
a flight of locusts, the spectators wondering applauded him exclaiming,
'Excellent! Excellent!' And so ceaselessly did he shoot his arrows that
the very air was unable to penetrate the thick array. And the spectators
could not perceive any interval between the taking up of the arrows and
letting them off. And in that fierce encounter characterised by
lightness of hand in the discharge of weapons, Partha began to shoot his
arrows more quickly than before. And then all at once hundreds and
thousands of straight arrows fell upon Drona's car. And, O bull of the
Bharata race, beholding Drona completely covered by the wielder of the
_Gandiva_ with his arrows, the Kuru army set up exclamation of '_Oh'!_
and '_Alas'!_ And Maghavat, together with those _Gandharvas_ and
_Apsaras_ that have come there, applauded the fleetness of Partha's
hand. And that mighty car-warrior, the preceptor's son, then resisted
the Pandva with a mighty array of cars. And although enraged with
Arjuna, yet Aswatthaman mentally admired that feat of the high-souled
son of Pritha. And waxing wroth, he rushed towards Partha, and
discharged at him an arrowy shower like a heavy down-pour by the cloud.
And turning his steeds towards Drona's son, Partha gave Drona an
opportunity to leave the field. And thereupon the latter, wounded in
that terrible encounter, and his mail and banner gone sped away by the
aid of swift horses."