“Sanjaya said, ‘In the afternoon of that day, O king, a dreadful battle,
characterised by roars, deep as those of the clouds, once more occurred
between Drona and the Somakas. That foremost of men, Drona, mounted on
his car of red steeds, and intent on battle rushed against the Pandavas,
with moderate speed. The valiant son of Bharadwaja, that great bowman
endued with mighty strength, that hero born in an excellent pot, engaged
in doing what was agreeable to thee, O king, and striking down, O
Bharata, many foremost of warriors with his whetted arrows, equipped with
beautiful wings, seemed to sport in that battle. Then that mighty
car-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra, irresistible in battle, and
the eldest of five brothers, rushed against him. Shooting many keen
shafts, he greatly afflicted the preceptor, like a mighty mass of clouds
pouring torrents of rain on the mountain of Gandhamadana. Then Drona, O
king, excited with wrath sped at him five and ten shafts whetted on stone
and equipped with wings of gold. The prince of the Kekayas, however,
cheerfully cut off every one of those shafts shot by Drona, and which
resembled angry snakes of virulent poison, with five shafts of his own.
Beholding that lightness of hand displayed by him that bull among
Brahmanas, then, sped at him eight straight shafts. Seeing those shafts
shot from Drona’s bow, swiftly coursing towards him, Vrihatkshatra in
that battle resisted them with as many sharp shafts of his. Beholding
that exceedingly difficult feat achieved by Vrihatkshatra, thy troops, O
king, were filled with amazement. Then Drona, O monarch, applauding
Vrihatkshatra, invoked into existence the irresistible and celestial
weapon called Brahma in that battle. The prince of the Kekayas, seeing it
shot by Drona in battle, baffled that Brahma weapon, O monarch, by a
Brahma weapon of his own. After that weapon had been thus baffled,
Vrihatkshatra, O Bharata, pierced the Brahmana with sixty shafts whetted
on stone and equipped with wings of gold. Then Drona, that foremost of
men, pierced the prince of the Kekayas with a powerful shaft which,
penetrating through the latter’s armour, (passed through his body and)
entered the earth. As a black cobra, O best of kings, pierces through an
ant-hill, even so did that shaft enter the earth, having pierced through
the body of the Kekaya prince in that battle. Deeply pierced, O monarch,
with the shafts of Drona, the prince of the Kekayas, filled with rage,
and rolling his beautiful eyes, pierced Drona with seventy arrows whetted
on stone and equipped with wings of gold. And with another arrow he
greatly afflicted Drona’s charioteer in this very vitals. Pierced by
Vrihatkshatra, O sire, with arrows, Drona shot showers of keen shafts at
the car of the Prince of the Kekayas. Depriving the mighty car-warrior,
Vrihatkshatra, of his coolness, Drona then, with four-winged arrows, slew
the four steeds of the former. With another arrow he felled
Vrihatkshatra’s charioteer from his niche in the car. And felling on the
earth, with two other arrows, his enemy’s standard and umbrella, that
bull among Brahmanas, with a third shaft well-shot from his bow, pierced
Vrihatkshatra himself in the chest. Thereupon, the latter, thus struck in
the chest, fell down from his car.
“‘Upon the slaughter, O king, of Vrihatkshatra, that mighty car-warrior
among the Kaikeyas, the son of Sisupala, filled with rage, addressed his
charioteer, saying, “O charioteer, proceed to the spot where Drona
stayeth, clad in armour and engaged in slaying the Kaikeya and the
Panchala hosts.” Hearing these words of his, the charioteer soon took
that foremost of car-warriors unto Drona, by means of those fleet steeds
of the Kamvoja breed. Then Dhrishtaketu, that bull among the Chedis,
swelling with might, rushed towards Drona for his own destruction like an
insect upon a blazing fire. Soon he pierced Drona and his steeds and car
and standard with sixty shafts. And once more he struck him with many
other keen shafts like a man rousing a sleeping tiger. Then Drona, with a
sharp razor-faced arrow winged with vulturine feathers, cut off the
middle of the bow of that mighty warrior struggling in battle. Then that
powerful car-warrior, viz., the son of Sisupala, taking up another bow,
pierced Drona with many shafts winged with the feathers of Kankas and
peacocks. Drona then, slaying with four shafts the four steeds of
Dhrishtaketu, smilingly cut off the head of the latter’s charioteer from
his trunk. And then he pierced Dhrishtaketu himself with five and twenty
arrows. The prince of the Chedis then, quickly jumping down from his car,
took up a mace, and hurled it at the son of Bharadwaja like an angry
snake. Beholding that heavy mace, endued with the strength of adamant and
decked with gold, coursing towards him like Death, the son of Bharadwaja
cut it off with many thousands of whetted arrows. That mace, cut off by
Bharadwaja’s son, O sire, with many shafts, fell down, O Kaurava, making
the earth echo with its noise. Beholding his mace baffled, the wrathful
and brave Dhrishtaketu hurled a lance and then a dart decked with gold.
Cutting off that lance with five shafts, Drona cut off that dart also
with five arrows. Both those missiles, thus cut off, fell down on the
earth, like a couple of snakes mangled and torn by Garuda. The valiant
son of Bharadwaja then, in that battle, sped for his destruction a keen
shaft at Dhrishtaketu who was battling for the destruction of Bharadwaja
himself. That shaft, piercing through the armour and breast of
Dhrishtaketu of immeasurable energy, entered the earth, like a swan
diving into a lake overgrown with lotuses. As a hungry jay seizes and
devours a little insect, even so did the heroic Drona swallows up
Dhrishtaketu in that great battle. Upon the slaughter of the ruler of the
Chedis, his son who was conversant with the highest weapons, excited with
wrath, sought to bear the burthen of his sire. Him also, Drona, smiling,
despatched to the abode of Yama by means of his shafts, like a huge and
mighty tiger in the deep woods slaying an infant deer.
“‘While the Pandavas, O Bharata, were thus being thinned, the heroic son
of Jarasandha rushed towards Drona. Like the clouds shrouding the sun, he
quickly made the mighty-armed Drona invisible in that battle by means of
his arrowy showers. Beholding that lightness of hand in him, Drona, that
grinder of Kshatriyas, quickly shot his shafts by hundreds and thousands.
Covering (with his arrows) in that battle that foremost of car-warriors
stationed on his car, Drona speedily slew the son of Jarasandha in the
very sight of all bowmen. Indeed, Drona, resembling the Destroyer
himself, swallowing up every one who approached him then, like the
Destroyer himself, swallowing up creatures when their hour arrives. Then
Drona, O monarch, proclaiming his name in that battle, covered the
Pandavas with many thousands of shafts. Those shafts shot by Drona,
whetted on stone and engraved with his name, slew in that battle men and
elephants and steeds by hundreds. Thus slaughtered by Drona, like the
Asuras by Sakra, the Panchalas began to tremble like a herd of kine
afflicted with cold. Indeed, O bull of Bharata’s race, when the Pandava
army was thus being slaughtered by Drona, there arose an awful wail of
woe from it. Scorched by the sun and slaughtered by means of those
arrows, the Panchalas then became filled with anxiety. Stupefied by
Bharadwaja’s son with his arrowy showers in that battle the mighty
car-warriors among the Panchalas felt like persons whose thighs had been
seized by alligators. Then, O king, the Chedis, the Srinjayas, the Kasis,
and the Kosalas, rushed cheerfully against the son of Bharadwaja from
desire of battle. And the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas
addressed one another, saying, “Drona is slain! Drona is slain!” Saying
these words, they rushed at that hero. Indeed, all these tigers among men
fell with their utmost might upon the illustrious Drona, desirous of
despatching him to the abode of Yama. Then the son of Bharadwaja, by
means of his shafts, despatched those brave warriors struggling
vigorously in battle, especially those foremost ones among the Chedis, into
the presence of the King of the dead. After those foremost ones among the
Chedis had been exterminated, the Panchalas, afflicted with the shafts of
Drona, began to tremble. Beholding, O sire, those feats of Drona, they
loudly called after Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata, and said,
“This Brahmana hath, without doubt, practised the austerest of penances
and acquired great ascetic merit. Inflamed with rage in battle, he
consumeth the foremost of Kshatriyas. A Kshatriya’s duty is battle; a
Brahmana’s, the highest asceticism. A Brahmana endued with ascetic merit
and learning, is capable of burning everything by his glances only. Many
foremost of Kshatriyas, having approached the uncrossable and fierce fire
of Drona’s weapons, have, O Bharata, been blasted and consumed. The
illustrious Drona, to the measure of his might, courage, and
perseverance, stupefies all creatures and slays our troops!” Hearing
these words of theirs, the mighty Kshatradharman, rightly observant of
the duties of a Kshatriya, wrathfully cut off with a crescent-shaped
arrow the bow of Drona with arrow fixed thereon. Then Drona, that grinder
of Kshatriyas, becoming more angry still, took up another bright bow,
tougher than the one he had laid aside. Fixing on it a keen arrow,
destructive of hostile ranks, the preceptor, endued with great strength,
sped it at the prince, drawing the bowstring to his ear. That arrow,
slaying Kshatradharman entered the earth. His breast pierced through, he
fell down from his vehicle on the earth. Upon the slaughter of
Dhrishtadyumna’s son, the (Pandava) troops began to tremble. Then the
mighty Chekitana fell upon Drona, Piercing Drona with ten arrows, he once
more pierced him with a shaft in the centre of his chest. And he pierced
Drona’s charioteer with four arrows and his four steeds also with four.
The Preceptor then pierced the right arm of Chekitana with sixteen
arrows, and his standard with sixteen, and his charioteer with seven.
Upon the charioteer being slain, Chekitana’s steeds fled away, dragging
the car after them. Beholding the steeds of Chekitana pierced with the
arrows of Bharadwaja’s son, and his car also deprived of driver, the
Panchalas and the Pandavas were filled with great fear. Drona then, O
sire, routing on all sides the Panchalas and the Srinjayas united
together in battle looked exceedingly resplendent. The venerable Drona,
full five and eighty years of age, dark in hue and with white locks
descending to his ears, careered in battle like a youth of sixteen.
Indeed, O king, enemies regarded the foe-slaying Drona, as he fearlessly
careered in battle, to be none else than Indra himself armed with the
thunder. Then, O monarch, the mighty-armed Drupada of great intelligence
said, “This one (Drona) is slaying the Kshatriyas like a hungry tiger
slaying smaller animals. The sinful Duryodhana of wicked soul will
assuredly obtain the most miserable regions (in the next world). It is
through his covetousness that many foremost of the Kshatriyas, slain in
battle, lay prostrate on the field, like mangled bulls, weltering in
blood and becoming the food of dogs and jackals.” Saying these words, O
monarch, Drupada, that master of an Akshauhini of troops, placing the
Parthas at his head, rushed with speed towards Drona.’”