“Sanjaya said, ‘Thus addressed by Duryodhana, Drona’s son, that warrior
difficult of defeat in battle, set his heart upon destroying the foe,
like Indra bent upon destroying the Daityas. The mighty-armed Aswatthaman
answered thy son, saying, “It is even so as thou sayest, O descendant of
Kuru! The Pandavas are always dear to both myself and my father. So also,
are we both dear unto them. Not so, however, in battle. We will,
according to the measure of our might, fearlessly contend in battle,
reckless of our lives. Myself, Karna, Salya, Kripa, and Hridika’s son,
could, O best of kings, destroy the Pandava host within the twinkling of
an eye. The Pandavas also, O best of the Kurus, could within the
twinkling of an eye, destroy the Kaurava host, if, O mighty-armed one, we
were not present in battle. We are fighting with the Pandavas to the best
of our might, and they also are fighting with us to the best of their
might. Energy, encountering energy, is being neutralised, O Bharata! The
Pandava army is incapable of being vanquished as long as the sons of
Pandu are alive. This that I tell thee is true. The sons of Pandu are
endued with great might. They are, again, fighting for their own sake.
Why should not they, O Bharata, be able to slay thy troops. Thou,
however, O king, art exceedingly covetous. Thou, O Kaurava, art
deceitful. Thou art vainglorious and suspicious of everything. For this,
thou suspectest even us. I think, O king, thou art wicked, of sinful
soul, and an embodiment of sin. Mean and of sinful thoughts, thou
doubtest us and others. As regards myself, fighting with resolution for
thy sake, I am prepared to lay down my life. I will presently go to
battle for thy sake, O chief of the Kurus. I will fight with the foe and
slay a large number of the enemy. I will fight with the Panchalas, the
Somakas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas also, in battle, for doing what
is agreeable to thee, O chastiser of foes. Scorched with my arrows today,
the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Somakas, will fly away on all sides
like a herd of kine afflicted by a lion. Today, the royal son of Dharma
with all the Somakas, beholding my prowess, will regard the whole world
to be filled with Aswatthamans. Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira, will become
exceedingly cheerless, beholding the Panchalas and Somakas slain (by me)
in battle. I will, O Bharata, slay all those that will approach me in
battle. Afflicted with the might of my arms, none of them, O hero, will
escape me today with life.” Having said so unto thy son, Duryodhana, the
mighty-armed (Aswatthaman) proceeded to battle, and afflicted all bowmen.
That foremost of all living beings thus sought to achieve what was
agreeable to thy sons. The son of Gotama’s daughter, then addressing the
Panchalas and the Kaikeyas, said unto them, “Ye mighty car-warriors,
strike ye all at my body. Displaying your lightness in the use of arms,
fight ye with me coolly.” Thus addressed by him, all those combatants, O
king, poured showers of weapons upon Drona’s son like clouds pouring
torrents of rain. Baffling that shower, Drona’s son in that battle, slew
ten brave warriors amongst them, in the very sight, O lord, of
Dhrishtadyumna and the sons of Pandu. The Panchalas and the Somakas then,
thus worked in battle, abandoned the son of Drona and fled away in all
directions. Beholding those brave warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the
Somakas, flying away, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, rushed against Drona’s son
in that battle. Surrounded then by a hundred brave and unreturning
car-warriors mounted upon cars, decked with gold, and the rattle of whose
wheels resembled the roar of rain-charged clouds, the mighty car-warrior
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala king, beholding his warriors
slain, addressed Drona’s son and said these words, “O foolish son of the
preceptor, what is the use of slaying vulgar combatants. If thou art a
hero, fight then with me in battle. I will slay thee. Wait for a moment
without flying away.” Saying thus, Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess struck
the preceptor’s son with many keen and terrible arrows capable of
piercing the very vitals. Those swiftly-coursing shafts, equipped with
golden wings and keen points, and capable of piercing the body of every
foe proceeding in a continuous line, penetrated into Aswatthaman’s body,
like freely-roaming bees in search of honey entering a flowering tree.
Deeply pierced and swelling with rage, like a trodden snake, the proud
and fearless son of Drona, arrow in hand, addressed his foe, saying, “O
Dhrishtadyumna, wait for moment, without leaving my presence. Soon shall
I despatch thee to Yama’s abode with my keen shafts.” Having said these
words, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Drona, displaying
great lightness of hands, covered the son of Prishata from every side
with clouds of arrows. Thus covered in that encounter (with arrows) by
Drona’s son, the Panchala prince, difficult to defeat in battle, said
“Thou knowest not of my origin, O Brahmana, or of my vow. O thou of
wicked understanding, having first slain Drona himself, I will not,
therefore, slay thee today when Drona himself is still alive. O thou of
wicked understanding, after this night passeth away and bringeth in the
fair dawn, I shall first slay thy sire in battle and then despatch thee
also to the region of Spirits. Even this is the wish entertained by me.
Standing before me, display, therefore, till then, the hatred thou
bearest towards the Parthas, and the devotion thou cherishest for the
Kurus. Thou shalt not escape from me with life. That Brahmana who,
abandoning the practices of a Brahmana, devoteth himself to the practices
of a Kshatriya, becomes slayable by all Kshatriyas even as thou, O lowest
of men.” Thus addressed by Prishata’s son in language so harsh and
insulting that best of Brahmanas Aswatthaman mustered all his rage and
answered, saying, “Wait, Wait!” And he gazed at Prishata’s son apparently
burning him with his eyes. Sighing (in rage) like a snake, the
preceptor’s son, then, covered Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (with a
shower of arrows). The mighty-armed son of Prishata, however, that best
of car-warriors, surrounded by all the Panchala troops, though thus
struck with arrows in that encounter by Drona’s son, did not tremble,
relying as he did on his own energy. In return, he sped many arrows at
Aswatthaman. Both engaged in a gambling match in which the stake was life
itself, those heroes, unable to brook each other, resisted each other and
checked each other’s arrowy showers. And those great bowmen shot dense
showers of shafts all around. Beholding that fierce battle, inspiring
terror, between Drona’s and Prishata’s son, the Siddhas and Charanas and
other sky-ranging beings applauded them highly. Filling the welkin and
all the points of the compass with clouds of shafts, and creating a thick
gloom therewith, those two warriors continued to fight with each other,
unseen (by any of us). As if dancing in that battle, with their bows
drawn to circles, resolutely aspiring to slay each other, those
mighty-armed warriors, inspiring fear in every heart, fought wonderfully
and with remarkable activity and skill. Applauded by thousands of
foremost warriors in that battle, and thus resolutely engaged in fight
like two wild elephants in the forest, both the armies, beholding them,
became filled with delight. And leonine shouts were heard there, and all
the combatants blew their conchs. And hundreds and thousands of musical
instruments began to be sounded. That fierce fight, enhancing the terror
of the timid, seemed only for a short time to be waged equally. Then
Drona’s son, O king, making a rush, cut off the bow, and standard, and
umbrella, and the two Parshni drivers, and the principal driver, and the
four steeds, of the high-souled son of Prishata. And that warrior of
immeasurable soul then caused the Panchalas in hundreds and thousands, by
means of his straight shafts, to fly away. Beholding those feats of
Drona’s son, resembling those of Vasava himself in battle, the Pandava
host, O bull of Bharata race, began to tremble in fear. Slaying a hundred
Panchalas with a hundred arrows, and three foremost of men with three
keen arrows, in the very sight of Drupada’s son and of Phalguna, that
mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona, slew a very large number of
Panchalas that stayed before him. The Panchalas then, as also the
Srinjayas, thus disconcerted in battle, fled away leaving Drona’s son,
with their banners torn. Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of
Drona, having vanquished his foes in battle, uttered a loud roar like
that of a mass of clouds at the end of summer. Having slain a large
number of foes, Aswatthaman looked resplendent like the blazing fire at
the end of the Yuga, after having consumed all creatures. Applauded by
all the Kauravas after having defeated thousands of foes in battle, the
valiant son of Drona beamed forth in beauty, like the chief of the
celestials himself after vanquishing his foes.’”