“Sanjaya said, ‘After his son (Bhurisravas) had been slain by Satyaki
while the former was sitting in Praya, Somadatta, filled with rage, said
unto Satyaki these words, “Why, O Satwata, having abandoned those
Kshatriya duties ordained by the high-souled gods, hast thou betaken
thyself to the practices of robbers? Why would one that is observant of
Kshatriya duties and possessed of wisdom, strike in battle a person that
is turning away from the fight, or one that has become helpless, or one
that has laid aside his weapons, or one that beggeth for quarters? Two
persons, indeed, among the Vrishnis are reputed to be the foremost of
great car-warriors, viz., Pradyumna of mighty energy and thou also, O
Satyaki! Why then didst thou behave so cruelly and sinfully towards one
that had sat in Praya and that had his arms cut off by Partha?[196] Take
now in battle the consequence of that act of thine, O thou of wicked
behaviour! I shall today, O wretch, putting forth my prowess, cut off
thy head with a winged arrow. I swear, O Satwata, by my two sons, by
what is dear to me, and by all my meritorious acts, that, if before this
night passes away, I do not slay thee, that art so proud of thy heroism,
with thy sons and younger brothers, provided Jishnu, the son of Pritha,
does not protect thee, then let me sink into terrible hell, O wretch of
Vrishni’s race!” Having said these words, the mighty Somadatta, filled
with rage, blew his conch loudly and uttered a leonine roar. Then
Satyaki, of eyes like lotus-petals and teeth like those of a lion,
possessed of great strength, and filled with rage, said these words unto
Somadatta, “O thou of Kuru’s race, whether battling with thee or with
others, I do not in my heart ever experience the slightest fear. If,
protected by all the troops, thou fightest with me, I would not, even
then experience on thy account, any pain, O thou of Kuru’s race! I am
ever observant of Kshatriya practices. Thou canst not, therefore,
frighten me with only words smacking of battle or with speeches that
insult the good. If, O king, thou wishest to fight with me today, be
cruel and strike me with keen shafts and I will also strike thee. Thy
son, the mighty car-warrior Bhurisravas, O king, had been slain. Sala
also, and Vrishasena, have been crushed by me. Thee also today I shall
slay, with thy sons and kinsmen. Stay with resolution in battle, for
thou, O Kaurava, art endued with great strength. Thou art already slain
in consequence of the energy of that drum-bannered king Yudhishthira in
whom are always charity, and self-restraint, and purity of heart,
compassion, and modesty, and intelligence, and forgiveness, and all else
that is indestructible. Thou shalt meet with destruction along with Karna
and Suvala’s son. I swear by Krishna’s feet and by all my good acts that,
filled with rage, I shall, with my shafts, slay thee with thy sons in
battle. If thou fliest away from battle, then mayst thou have safety.”
Having thus addressed each other, with eyes red in wrath, those foremost
of men began to shoot their shafts at each other. Then with a thousand
cars and ten thousand horses, Duryodhana took his station, encompassing
Somadatta. Sakuni also, filled with rage, and armed with every weapon and
surrounded by his sons and grandsons as also by his brothers, that were
equal to Indra himself in prowess (did the same). Thy brother-in-law, O
king, young in years and of body hard as the thunder-bolt and possessed
of wisdom, had a hundred thousand horses of the foremost valour with him.
With these he encompassed the mighty bowman Somadatta. Protected by those
mighty warriors, Somadatta covered Satyaki (with clouds of shafts).
Beholding Satyaki thus covered with clouds of straight shafts,
Dhrishtadyumna proceeded towards him in rage and accompanied by a mighty
force. Then, O king, the sound that arose there of those two large hosts
striking each other, resembled that of many oceans lashed into fury by
frightful hurricanes. Then Somadatta pierced Satyaki, with nine arrows.
Satyaki, in return, struck that foremost of Kuru warriors with nine
arrows. Deeply pierced in that battle by the mighty and firm bowman
(Satyaki), Somadatta sat down on the terrace of his car and lost his
senses in a swoon. Beholding him deprived of his senses, his driver, with
great speed, bore away from the battle that great car-warrior, viz., the
heroic Somadatta. Seeing that Somadatta, afflicted with Yuyudhana’s
shafts, had lost his senses Drona rushed with speed, desiring to slay the
Yadu hero. Beholding the Preceptor advance, many Pandava warriors headed
by Yudhishthira surrounded that illustrious perpetuator of Yadu’s race
from desire of rescuing him. Then commenced a battle between Drona and
the Pandavas, resembling that between Vali and the celestials for
acquiring sovereignty of the three worlds. Then Bharadwaja’s son of
great energy shrouded the Pandava host with clouds of arrows and pierced
Yudhishthira also. And Drona pierced Satyaki with ten arrows, and the son
of Prishata with twenty. And he pierced Bhimasena with nine arrows and
Nakula with five, and Sahadeva with eight, and Sikhandin with a hundred.
And the mighty-armed hero pierced each of the (five) sons of Draupadi
with five arrows. And he pierced Virata with eight arrows and Drupada
with ten. And he pierced Yudhamanyu with three arrows and Uttamaujas with
six in that encounter. And piercing many other combatants, he rushed
towards Yudhishthira. The troops of Pandu’s son, slaughtered by Drona,
ran away in all directions, from fear, O king, with loud wails. Beholding
that host slaughtered by Drona, Phalguna, the son of Pritha, with wrath
excited a little, quickly proceeded towards the preceptor. Beholding then
that Drona was also proceeding towards Arjuna in that battle, that host
of Yudhishthira, O king, once more rallied. Then once more occurred a
battle between Drona and the Pandavas. Drona, surrounded, O king, on all
sides, by thy sons, began to consume the Pandava host, like fire
consuming a heap of cotton. Beholding him radiant like the sun and endued
with the splendour of a blazing fire, and fiercely and continually, O
king, emitting his ray-like arrows, with bow incessantly drawn to a
circle and scorching everything around like the sun himself, and
consuming his foes, there was none in that army that could check him. The
shafts of Drona cutting off the head of all those that ventured to
approach him in the face, penetrated into the earth. Thus slaughtered by
that illustrious warrior, the Pandava host, once more fled away in fear
in the very sight of Arjuna. Beholding that force, O Bharata, thus routed
on that night by Drona, Jishnu asked Govinda to proceed towards Drona’s
car. Then he of Dasarha’s race urged those steeds, white as silver or
milk or the Kunda flower, or the moon, towards the car of Drona.
Bhimasena also, beholding Phalguna proceed towards Drona, commanded his
own charioteer, saying, “Bear me towards Drona’s division.” Hearing those
words of Bhima, his driver Visoka urged his steeds, following in the
wake, O chief of the Bharatas, of Jishnu, of sure aim. Beholding the two
brothers resolutely proceeding towards Drona’s division, the mighty
car-warriors among the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis,
the Karushas, the Kosalas, and the Kaikeyas, O king, all followed them.
Then, O monarch, took place a terrible battle that made the hair stand on
end. With two mighty throngs of cars, Vibhatsu and Vrikodara attacked thy
host; the former on the right and the latter in the front. Seeing those
tigers among men, viz., Bhimasena and Dhananjaya (thus engaged),
Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, and Satyaki of great strength, rushed behind.
Then, O king, an uproar arose there in consequence of the two hosts
striking each other, that resembled the noise made by many seas lashed
into fury by a tempest. Beholding Satyaki in battle, Aswatthaman, filled
with rage at the slaughter of Somadatta’s son, rushed furiously against
that Satwata hero at the van of battle. Seeing him rush in that battle
against the car of Sini’s grandson, Bhimasena’s son, the gigantic
Rakshasa, Ghatotkacha, endued with great strength, rushed at him, riding
on a huge and terrible car made of black iron covered with bear-skins.
Both the height and the width of that large car measured thirty
nalwas.[197] Equipped with machines set in proper places it was; its
rattle resembled that of a mighty mass of clouds. No steeds or elephants
were yoked unto it, but, instead, beings that looked like elephants.[198]
On its tall standard perched a prince of vultures with outstretched wings
and feet, with eyes wide-expanded, and shrieking awfully. And it was
equipped with red flags and decked with the entrails of various animals.
And that huge vehicle was furnished with eight wheels. Riding on it,
Ghatotkacha was surrounded by a full Akshauhini of fierce-looking
Rakshasas armed with lances and heavy clubs and rocks and trees. Seeing
him advance with uplifted bow, resembling the mace-armed Destroyer
himself in the hour of universal dissolution, the hostile kings were
struck with fear. At sight of that prince of Rakshasas, viz.,
Ghatotkacha, looking like a mountain summit of terrible aspect,
frightful, possessed of terrible teeth and fierce face, with arrow-like
ears and high cheek-bones, with stiff hair rising upwards, awful eyes,
sunken belly, blazing mouth, wide as a chasm, and diadem on his head,
capable of striking every creature with fear, possessing jaws wide-open
like those of the Destroyer, endued with great splendour and capable of
agitating all foes, advancing towards them, thy son’s host, afflicted
with fear, became highly agitated like the current of the Ganga agitated
into fierce eddies by (the action of) the wind. Terrified by the leonine
roar uttered by Ghatotkacha, elephants began to eject urine and the kings
began to tremble. Then, thrown by the Rakshasas who had become more
powerful in consequence of the night, there began to fall on the field of
battle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless shower of iron wheels
and Bhundis and darts and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes also
fell there. Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings, thy sons,
and Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled away. Only the proud son of
Drona, ever boastful of his might in arms, stood fearlessly. And he soon
dispelled that illusion that had been created by Ghatotkacha. Upon the
destruction of his illusion, Ghatotkacha in rage sped fierce shafts at
(Aswatthaman). These pierced the son of Drona, like angry snakes speedily
piercing through an ant-hill. Those arrows, having pierced through the
body of Aswatthaman, dyed with blood and quickly entered the earth like
snakes into an ant-hill. The light-handed Aswatthaman, however, of great
prowess, filled with wrath, pierced Ghatotkacha with ten arrows.
Ghatotkacha, deeply pierced in his vital parts by Drona’s son, and
feeling great pain, took up a wheel having a thousand spokes. Its edge
was sharp as a razor, and it was resplendent as the rising sun. And it
was decked with diverse gems and diamonds. Desirous of slaying him, the
son of Bhimasena hurled that wheel at Aswatthaman. And as that wheel
coursed swiftly towards Drona’s son, the latter cut it into fragments by
means of his shafts. Baffled, it fell down on the earth, like the hope
cherished by an unfortunate man. Beholding his wheel baffled, Ghatotkacha
quickly covered the son of Drona with his shafts, like Rahu swallowing
the sun. Meanwhile, Ghatotkacha’s son endued with great splendour and
looking like a mass of antimony, checked the advancing son of Drona like
the king of mountain (Meru) checking the (course of the) wind. Afflicted
with showers of shafts by Bhimasena’s grandson, viz., the brave
Anjanaparvan, Aswatthaman looked like the mountain Meru bearing a torrent
of rain from a mighty cloud. Then Aswatthaman, equal unto Rudra or
Upendra in prowess, became filled with rage. With one shaft he cut off
the standard of Anjanaparvan. With two others, his two drivers, and with
three others, his Trivenuka. And he cut off the Rakshasa’s bow with one
arrow, and his four steeds with four other arrows. Made carless,
Anjanaparvan took up a scimitar. With another keen shaft, Aswatthaman cut
off in two fragments that scimitar, decked with golden stars, in the
Rakshasa’s hand. The grandson of Hidimva then, O king, whirling a gold
adorned mace, quickly hurled it at Aswatthaman. Drona’s son, however,
striking it with his shafts, caused it to fall down on the earth. Soaring
up then into the sky, Anjanaparvan began to roar like a cloud. And from
the welkin he showered trees upon his foe. Like the sun piercing a mass
of clouds with his rays, Aswatthaman then began to pierce with his shafts
the son of Ghatotkacha, that receptacle of illusions, in the welkin.
Gifted with great energy, the Rakshasa once more came down on his gold
decked car. He then looked like a high and beautiful hill of antimony on
the surface of the earth. The son of Drona then slew that son of Bhima’s
son, viz., Anjanaparvan, cased in an iron coat of mail, even as Mahadeva
had slain in days of yore the Asura Andhaka. Beholding his mighty son
slain by Aswatthaman, Ghatotkacha, coming unto the son of Drona,
fearlessly addressed the heroic son of Saradwata’s daughter, who was then
consuming the Pandava troops like a raging forest-conflagration, in these
words:
“‘Ghatotkacha said, “Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not escape me
with life! I shall slay thee today like Agni’s son slaying Krauncha.”
“‘Aswatthaman said, “Go, O son, and fight with others, O thou that hast
the prowess of a celestial. It is not proper, O son of Hidimva, that sire
should battle with son.[199] I do not cherish any grudge against thee, O
son of Hidimva! When, however, one’s ire is excited, one may kill one’s
own self.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Having heard these words, Ghatotkacha, filled with
grief on account of the fall of his son, and with eyes red as copper in
wrath, approached Aswatthaman and said, “Am I a dastard in battle, O son
of Drona, like a vulgar person, that thou dost frighten me thus with
words? Thy words are improper. Verily, I have been begotten by Bhima in
the celebrated race of the Kurus. I am a son of the Pandavas, those
heroes that never retreat from battle. I am the king of the Rakshasas,
equal to the Ten-necked (Ravana) in might. Wait, wait, O son of Drona!
Thou shalt not escape me with life. I shall today, on the field of
battle, dispel thy desire for fight.” Having thus replied unto
Aswatthaman, that mighty Rakshasa with eyes red as copper in rage, rushed
furiously against the son of Drona, like a lion against a prince of
elephants. And Ghatotkacha began to shower upon that bull among
car-warriors, viz., Drona’s son, shafts of the measure of Aksha of battle
car, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Drona’s son however, with his
own shafts, checked that arrowy shower before it could reach him. At that
time, it seemed that another encounter was taking place in the welkin
between shafts (as the combatants). The welkin, then, during the night,
shone resplendent with the sparks caused by the clash of those weapons,
as if with (myriads of) flies. Observing that his illusion was dispelled
by Drona’s son, proud of his prowess in battle, Ghatotkacha, once more
making himself invisible, created an illusion. He assumed the form of a
high mountain, crowded with cliffs and trees, and possessing fountains
from which ceaselessly flowed spears and lances and swords and heavy
clubs. Beholding that mountain-like mass of antimony, with countless
weapons falling from it, Drona’s son was not at all moved. The latter
invoked into existence the Vajra weapon.[200] The prince of mountains,
then, struck with that weapon, was quickly destroyed. Then the Rakshasa,
becoming a mass of blue clouds in the firmament, decked with rainbow,
began furiously to shower upon Drona’s son in that battle a downpour of
stones and rocks. Then that foremost of all persons acquainted with
weapons, viz., Aswatthaman, aiming the Vayavya weapon, destroyed that
blue cloud which had risen on the firmament. Drona’s son, that foremost
of men, covering then all the points of the compass with his shafts, slew
a hundred thousand car-warriors. He then beheld Ghatotkacha fearlessly
coming towards him with bent bow and accompanied by a large number of
Rakshasas that resembled lions or infuriated elephants of great strength,
some riding on elephants, some on cars, and some on steeds. The son of
Hidimva was accompanied by those fierce followers of his, with frightful
faces and heads and necks. Those Rakshasas consisted of both Paulastyas
and Yatudhanas.[201] Their prowess was equal to that of Indra himself.
They were armed with diverse kinds of weapons and were cased in diverse
kinds of armour. Of terrible visage, they swelled with rage. Ghatotkacha
came to battle, accompanied by those Rakshasas, who were, indeed,
incapable of being easily defeated in battle. Beholding them, thy son,
Duryodhana, became exceedingly cheerless. Unto him the son of Drona said,
“Wait, O Duryodhana! Thou needst have no fear. Stand aside with these thy
heroic brothers and these lords of earth, endued with the prowess of
Indra. I will slay thy foes. Defeat thou shalt not have. I tell thee
truly. Meanwhile, assure thy troops.”
“‘Duryodhana said, “I do not regard what thou sayest to be at all
wonderful, since thy heart is large. O son of Gautama’s daughter, thy
regard for us is great.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Having said those words unto Aswatthaman, he then
addressed the son of Suvala, saying, “Dhananjaya is engaged in battle
surrounded by a hundred thousand car-warriors of great valour. Go thou
against him, with sixty thousand cars. Karna also, and Vrishasena and
Kripa, and Nila, and the Northerners, and Kritavarman, and the sons of
Purumitra, and Duhsasana, and Nikumbha, and Kundabhedin, and Puranjaya
and Dridharatha, and Hemakampana, and Salya, and Aruni, and Indrasena,
and Sanjaya, and Vijaya, and Jaya, and Purakrathin, and Jayavarman, and
Sudarsana, these will follow thee, with sixty thousand foot-soldiers. O
uncle, slay Bhima and the twins and king Yudhishthira the Just, like the
chief of the celestials slaying the Asuras. My hope of victory is in
thee. Already pierced by Drona’s son with shafts, all their limbs have
been exceedingly mangled. Slay the sons of Kunti, O uncle, like Kartikeya
slaying the Asuras.” Thus addressed by thy son, Sakuni proceeded quickly
to destroy the Pandavas, filling thy son’s heart, O king, with delight.
“‘Meanwhile, O king, the battle that took place between the Rakshasas and
the son of Drona on that night was exceedingly terrible like that between
Sakra and Prahlada (in days of old). Ghatotkacha, filled with rage,
struck Drona’s son in the chest with ten powerful shafts fierce as poison
or fire. Deeply pierced with those shafts by the son of Bhimasena,
Aswatthaman trembled on the terrace of his car like a tall tree shaken by
the tempest. Once more Ghatotkacha, with a broad-headed shaft, quickly
cut off the bright bow that was in the hands of Drona’s son. The latter,
then, taking up another bow capable of bearing of great strain, showered
keen arrows (upon his foe) like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Then
the son of Saradwat’s daughter, O Bharata, sped many sky-ranging and
foe-slaying arrows, winged with gold, towards the sky-ranging Rakshasa.
Afflicted with those shafts of Aswatthaman, that vast force of
broad-chested Rakshasas looked like a herd of infuriated elephants
afflicted by lions. Consuming with his arrows those Rakshasas with their
steeds, drivers, and elephants, he blazed forth like the adorable Agni
while consuming creatures at the end of the Yuga. Having burnt with his
shafts a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops, Aswatthaman shone
resplendent like the divine Maheswara in heaven after the burning of the
triple city.[202] That foremost of victors, viz., Drona’s son, having
burnt thy foes, shone brilliantly like the blazing Yuga-fire after having
burnt all creatures at the end of the Yuga. Then Ghatotkacha, filled with
rage, urged that vast Rakshasa force on, saying, “Slay the son of Drona!”
That command of Ghatotkacha was obeyed by those terrible Rakshasa of
bright teeth, large faces, frightful aspects, gaping mouths, long tongues
and eyes blazing with wrath. Causing the earth to be filled with their
loud leonine roars, and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, they rushed
against the son of Drona for slaying him. Endued with fierce prowess,
those Rakshasas, with eyes red in wrath, fearlessly hurled at
Aswatthaman’s head hundreds and thousands of darts, and Sataghnis, and
spiked maces, and Asanis and long lances, and axes, and scimitars, and
maces, and short arrows and heavy clubs, and battle-axes, and spears, and
swords, and lances, and polished Kampanas and Kunapas, and Hulas, and
rockets, and stones, and vessels of (hot) treacle, and thunas made of
black iron, and mallets, all of terrible forms and capable of destroying
foes. Beholding that thick shower of weapons falling upon the head of
Drona’s son, thy warriors were much pained. The son of Drona, however,
fearlessly destroyed with his whetted shafts endued with the force of the
thunder that frightful shower of weapons looking like a risen cloud. Then
the high-souled son of Drona, with other weapons, equipped with golden
wings and inspired with mantras speedily slew many Rakshasas. Afflicted
with those shafts, that vast force of broad-chested Rakshasas looked like
a herd of infuriated elephants afflicted by lions. Then those mighty
Rakshasas, thus afflicted by Drona’s son, became filled with fury and
rushed against the former. The prowess that the son of Drona then showed
was exceedingly wonderful, for the feat he achieved is incapable of being
achieved by any other being among living creatures, since, alone and
unsupported, that warrior acquainted with high and mighty weapons burnt
that Rakshasa force with his blazing shafts in the very sight of that
prince of Rakshasas. Whilst consuming that Rakshasa force, Drona’s son in
that battle shone resplendent like the Samvartaka fire, while burning all
creatures at the end of the Yuga. Indeed, amongst those thousands of
kings and those Pandavas, O Bharata, there was none, except that mighty
prince of the Rakshasa, viz., the heroic Ghatotkacha, capable of even
looking at the son of Drona in that battle, who was thus employed in
consuming their ranks with his shafts, resembling snakes of virulent
poison. The Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, with eyes rolling in
wrath, striking his palms, and biting his (nether) lip, addressed his own
driver, saying, “Bear me towards the son of Drona.” Riding on that
formidable car equipped with triumphal banners, that slayer of foes once
more proceeded against Drona’s son, desirous of a single combat with the
latter. Endued with terrible prowess, the Rakshasa, uttering a loud
leonine roar, hurled in that encounter at Drona’s son, having whirled it
(previously), a terrible Asani of celestial workmanship, and equipped
with eight bells.[203] Drona’s son, however, jumping down from his car,
having left his bow thereon, seized it and hurled it back at Ghatotkacha
himself. Ghatotkacha, meanwhile, had quickly alighted from his car. That
formidable Asani, of dazzling effulgence, having reduced to ashes the
Rakshasa’s vehicle with steeds and drivers and standard, entered the
earth, having pierced her through. Beholding that feat of Drona’s son,
viz., his having jumped down and seized that terrible Asani of celestial
workmanship, all creatures applauded it. Proceeding then, O king, to
Dhrishtadyumna’s car, Bhimasena’s son, taking up a terrible bow that
resembled the large bow of Indra himself, once more shot many keen shafts
at the illustrious son of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna also fearlessly shot at
Aswatthaman’s chest many foremost of shafts, equipped with wings of gold
and resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then Drona’s son shot arrows
and long shafts by thousands. These two heroes, however, viz.,
Ghatotkacha and Dhrishtadyumna, struck and baffled Aswatthaman’s shafts
by means of their own shafts whose touch resembled that of fire. The
battle then that took place between those two lions among men
(Ghatotkacha on the one side) and the son of Drona (on the other) became
fierce in the extreme and gladdened all the combatants, O bull of
Bharata’s race! Then, accompanied by a thousand cars, three hundred
elephants, and six thousand horses, Bhimasena arrived at that spot. The
virtuous son of Drona, however, endued as he was with prowess that knew
no fatigue, continued to fight with the heroic son of Bhima and with
Dhrishtadyumna supported by his followers.[204] The prowess then that
Drona’s son displayed on that occasion was exceedingly wonderful, in as
much as, O Bharata, none else amongst all creatures is capable of
accomplishing such feats. Within the twinkling of an eye, he destroyed,
by means of his sharp shafts, a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops with
steeds, drivers, cars, and elephants, in the very sight of Bhimasena and
Hidimva’s son and Prishata’s son and the twins and Dharma’s son and
Vijaya and Achyuta.[205] Deeply struck with the straight-going shafts (of
Aswatthaman), elephants fell down on elephants on the earth like
crestless mountains. Strewn all around with the lopped off trunks of
elephants, that moved still in convulsions, the earth looked as if
overspread with moving snakes. And the earth looked resplendent with
golden staves and royal umbrellas, like the firmament at the end of the
Yuga, bespangled with planets and stars and many moons and suns. And
Drona’s son caused a bloody river of impetuous current to flow there. The
blood of elephants and steeds and combatants formed its water; tall
standards its frogs; drums formed its large tortoises; umbrellas, its
rows of swans, yak-tails in profusion, Kankas and vultures, its
crocodiles; weapons its fishes; large elephants the stones and rocks on
its banks; elephants and steeds, its sharks; cars, its unstable and broad
banks; and banners, its beautiful rows of trees. Having shafts for its
(smaller) fishes, that frightful river had lances and darts and swords
for snakes; marrow and flesh for its mire, and trunkless bodies floating
on it for its rafts. And it was choked with the hair (of men and animals)
for its moss. And it inspired the timid with cheerlessness and fear. And
bloody waves were seen on its surface. Rendered frightful by means of the
foot-soldiers with which it teemed, Yama’s abode, was the ocean towards
which it flowed. Having slain the Rakshasas, Drona’s son then began to
afflict the son of Hidimva with arrows. Filled once more with rage, the
puissant son of Drona having pierced those mighty car-warriors, viz., the
Parthas including Vrikodara and the sons of Prishata, slew Suratha, one
of the sons of Drupada. Then he slew in that battle Suratha’s younger
brother named Satrunjaya. And then he slew Valanika and Jayanika, and
Jaya. And once more, with a keen shaft, Drona’s son uttering a leonine
roar, slew Prishdhra, and then proud Chandrasena. And then he slew with
ten arrows the ten sons of Kuntibhoja. Then, O king, Drona’s son
despatched Srutayus to the abode of Yama. With three other keen shafts,
equipped with beautiful wings and red eyes, he despatched the mighty
Satrunjaya to the region of Sakra.[206] Then Aswatthaman, filled with
rage, fixed on his bowstring a fierce and straight arrow. Drawing the
string to his ear, he quickly shot that fierce and excellent arrow
resembling the rod of Death himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That mighty
shaft, equipped with beautiful wings, passing through the chest of that
Rakshasa, O lord of the earth, entered the earth, piercing through it,
Ghatotkacha thereupon fell down on the car. Beholding him fallen down and
believing him to be dead, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna took him
away from the presence of Drona’s son and caused him to be placed upon
another car. Thus, O king, that car-force of Yudhishthira turned away
from the fight. The heroic son of Drona having vanquished his foes,
uttered a loud roar. And he was worshipped by all men and all thy sons, O
sire.[207] The earth, strewn all around with the fallen bodies of dead
Rakshasas, pierced and mangled with hundreds of arrows, became fierce
looking and impassable, as if strewn with mountain summits. The Siddhas
and Gandharvas and Pisachas, and Nagas, and birds, and Pitris and ravens
and large numbers of cannibals and ghosts, and Apsaras and celestials,
all combined in highly applauding the son of Drona.’”