“Dhritarashtra said, ‘How did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas slay Drona
in battle,--Drona, who was so accomplished in weapons amongst all
wielders of arms? Did his car break (in course of the fight)? Did his bow
break while he was striking (the foe)? Or, was Drona carless at the time
when he met with his death-blow? How, indeed, O child, could Prishata’s
son, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna) the prince of the Panchalas, slay that hero
incapable of being humiliated by enemies, who scattered thick showers of
shafts furnished with wings of gold, and who was endued with great
lightness of hand, that foremost of Brahmanas, who was accomplished in
everything, acquainted with all modes of warfare, capable of shooting his
shafts to a great distance, and self-restrained, who was possessed of
great skill in the use of weapons and armed with celestial weapons, that
mighty warrior, of unfading glory, who was always careful, and who
achieved the fiercest feats in battle? It is plain, it seems to me, that
destiny is superior to exertion, since even brave Drona hath been slain
by the high-souled son of Prishata, that hero in whom were the four kinds
of weapons. Alas, thou sayest that that Drona, that preceptor in
bowmanship, is slain. Hearing of the slaughter of that hero who used to
ride his bright car covered with tiger skins and adorned with pure gold.
I cannot drive away my grief. Without doubt, O Sanjaya, no one dies of
grief caused by another’s calamity, since, wretch that I am, I am yet
alive although I have heard of Drona’s death. Destiny I regard to be all
powerful, exertion is fruitless. Surely, my heart, hard as it is, is made
of adamant, since it breaketh not into a hundred pieces, although I have
heard of Drona’s death. He who was waited upon by Brahmanas and princes
desirous of instruction in the Vedas and divination and bowmanship, alas,
how could he be taken away by Death? I cannot brook the overthrow of
Drona which is even like the drying up of the ocean, or the removal of
Meru from its site, or the fall of the Run from the firmament. He was a
restrainer of the wicked and a protector of the righteous. That scorcher
of foes who hath given up his life for the wretched Duryodhana, upon
whose prowess rested that hope of victory which my wicked sons
entertained, who was equal to Vrihaspati or Usanas himself in
intelligence, alas, how was he slain? His large steeds of red hue,
covered with a net of gold, fleet as the wind and incapable of being struck
with any weapon in battle, endued with great strength, neighing
cheerfully, well-trained and of the Sindhu breed, yoked unto his car and
drawing the vehicle excellently, always preserving in the midst of
battle, did they become weak and faint? Coolly bearing in battle the roar
of elephants, while those huge creatures trumpeted at the blare of conchs
and the beat of drums, unmoved by the twang of bows and showers of arrows
and other weapons, foreboding the defeat of foes by their very
appearance, never drawing long breaths (in consequence of toil), above
all fatigue and pain, how were those fleet steeds that drew the car of
Bharadwaja’s son soon over-powered? Even such were the steeds yoked unto
his golden car. Even such were the steeds yoked thereto by that foremost
of human heroes. Mounted on his own excellent car decked with pure gold,
why, O son, could he not cross the sea of the Pandava army? What feats
were achieved in battle by Bharadwaja’s son, that warrior who always drew
tears from other heroes, and upon whose knowledge (of weapons) all the
bowmen of the world rely? Firmly adhering to truth, and endued with great
might, what, indeed, did Drona do in battle? Who were those car-warriors
that encountered that achiever of fierce deeds, that foremost of all
wielders of the bow, that first of heroes, who resembled Sakra himself in
heaven? Did the Pandava fly away beholding him of the golden car and of
mighty strength who invoked into existence celestial weapons? Or, did
king Yudhishthira the just, with his younger brothers, and having the
prince of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna) for his binding chord,[13] attack
Drona, surrounding him with his troops on all sides? Verily, Partha must
have, with his straight shafts, checked all the other car-warriors, and
then Prishata’s son of sinful deeds must have surrounded Drona. I do not
see any other warrior, save the fierce Dhrishtadyumna protected by
Arjuna, who could have compassed the death of that mighty hero. It seems
that when those heroes, viz., the Kekayas, the Chedis, the Karushas, the
Matsyas, and the other kings, surrounding the preceptor, pressed him
exceedingly like ants pressing upon a snake, while he was engaged in some
difficult feat, the wretched Dhrishtadyumna must have slain him then.
This is what I think. He who, having studied the four Vedas with their
branches and the histories forming the fifth (Veda), became the refuge of
the Brahmanas, as the ocean is of rivers, that scorcher of foes, who
lived both as a Brahmana and as a Kshatriya, alas, how could that
Brahmana, reverend in years, meet with his end at the edge of a weapon?
Of a proud spirit, he was yet often humiliated and had to suffer pain on
my account. However undeserving of it, he yet attained at the hands of
Kunti’s son, the fruit of his own conduct.[14] He, upon whose feats
depend all wielders of bows in the world, alas, how could that hero,
firmly adhering to truth and possessed of great skill, be slain by
persons desirous of affluence? Foremost in the world like Sakra himself
in heaven, of great might and great energy, alas, how could he be slain
by the Parthas, like the whale by the smaller fish? He, from whose
presence no warrior desirous of victory could ever escape with life, he
whom, while alive, these two sounds never left, viz., the sound of the
Vedas by those desirous of Vedic lore, and the twang of bows caused by
those desirous of skill in bowmanship, he who was never cheerless, alas,
that tiger among men, that hero endued with prosperity and never
vanquished in battle, that warrior of prowess equal to that of the lion
or the elephant, hath been slain. Verily, I cannot bear the idea of his
death. How could Prishata’s son, in the sight of the foremost of men,
slay in battle that invincible warrior whose might was never humiliated
and whose fame was never tarnished? Who were they that fought in Drona’s
van, protecting him, standing by his side? Who proceeded in his rear and
obtained that end which is so difficult of attainment? Who were those
high-souled warriors that protected the right and the left wheels of
Drona? Who were in the van of that hero while he struggled in battle? Who
were they that, reckless of their lives on that occasion, met with death
which stood face to face with them? Who were those heroes that went in
the last journey in Drona’s battle? Did any of those Kshatriyas that were
assigned for Drona’s protection, proving false, abandon that hero in
battle? Was he slain by the foe after such desertion and while alone?
Drona would never, from fear, show his back in battle, however great the
danger. How then was he slain by the foe? Even in great distress, O
Sanjaya, an illustrious person should do this, viz., put forth his
prowess according to the measure of his might. All this was in Drona; O
child, I am losing my senses. Let this discourse be suspended for a
while. After regaining my senses I will once more ask thee, O Sanjaya!’”