“‘Duryodhana said, “The preceptor (Drona) always protecteth the sons of Pandu, as if they are his own sons. Thou also always never interferest with those my foes. Or, it may be due to my misfortune, that thy prowess never becometh fierce in battle. This may be due also to thy affection for Yudhishthira or Draupadi. I myself am ignorant of the true reason. Fie on my covetous self, for whose sake all friends, desirous of making me happy, are themselves vanquished and plunged into grief. Except thee, O son of Gotama’s daughter, what foremost of all wielders of weapons of there, what warrior, indeed, equal to Mahadeva himself in battle, that would not, though competent, destroy the foe? O Aswatthaman, be pleased with me and destroy my enemies. Neither the gods nor the Danavas are capable of staying within the range of thy weapons. O son of Drona, slay the Panchalas and the Somakas with all their followers. As regards the rest, we will slay them, protected by thee. Yonder, O Brahmana, the Somakas and the Panchalas, possessed of great fame, are careering amid my troops like a forest-conflagration. O mighty-armed one, check them as also the Kailkeyas, O best of men, else, protected by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), they will annihilate us all. O Aswatthaman, O chastiser of foes, go thither with speed. Whether thou accomplishest it now or afterwards, that feat, O sire, should be accomplished by thee. Thou hast been born, O mighty-armed one, for the destruction of the Panchalas. Putting forth thy prowess, thou shalt make the world destitute of Panchalas. Even thus the reverend ones crowned with (ascetic) success, have said. It will be as they have said. Therefore, O tiger among men, slay the Panchalas with all their followers. The very gods with Vasava at their head are incapable of staying within the range of thy weapons, what need be said then of the Parthas and the Panchalas? These words of mine are true. I tell thee truly, O hero, that the Pandavas united with the Somakas are no match for thee in battle! Go, O mighty-armed one! Let there be no delay. Behold, our army, afflicted with Partha’s shafts, is breaking and flying away. Thou art competent, O mighty-armed one, aided by thy own celestial energy, to afflict, O giver of honours, the Pandavas and the Panchalas.”’”
SECTION CLIX
“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 sho
wers. 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.’”
SECTION CLX
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘THEN king Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, O monarch, encompassed Drona’s son on all sides. Seeing this, king Duryodhana, aided by Bharadwaja’s son, rushed against the Pandavas in that encounter. Then commenced a battle that was fierce and terrific, enhancing the fears of the timid. Yudhishthira, in wrath began to despatch vast numbers of Amvashthas, Malavas, Vangas, Sivis, and Trigartas, to the domain of the dead. Bhima also, mangling the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, and other Kshatriyas difficult to defeat in battle, made the earth miry with blood. The diadem-decked (Arjuna) of white steeds despatched, O king, the Yaudheyas, the Mountaineers, the Madrakas, and the Malavas also, to the regions of the dead. Forcibly struck with swiftly-coursing shafts, elephants began to fall down on the earth like double-crested hills. Strewn with the lopped-off trunks of elephants that still moved in convulsions, the earth seemed as if covered with moving snakes. Covered with the fallen umbrellas of kings that were adorned with gold, the field of battle looked resplendent like the firmament at the end of the Yuga bespangled with suns, moons and stars. About this time a fierce uproar arose near Drona’s car, in the midst of which could be heard the words, “Slay”, “Strike fearlessly”, “Pierce”, “cut in pieces”. Drona, however, filled with rage, began to destroy by means of the Vayavya weapon the foes about him, like a mighty tempest destroying gathering masses of clouds. Thus treated by Drona, the Panchalas fled away, from fear, in the very sight to Bhimasena and the high-souled Partha. Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena soon checked the flight of their troops and accompanied by a large car-force attacked the vast force of Drona. Vibhatsu attacking the right and Vrikodara the left, they both poured on Bharadwaja’s son two dense showers of arrows. The mighty car-warriors among the Srinjayas and the Panchalas, with the Matsyas and the Somakas, O king, followed the two brothers thus engaged (in that encounter with Drona). Similarly, many foremost of car-warriors, skilled in smiting, belonging to thy son, accompanied by a large force, proceeded towards Drona’s car (for supporting the latter). Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and overcome with and afflicted by the darkness, began to break. Thy son himself, and Drona, both endeavoured to rally them. Thy troops, however, O king, could not be checked in their flight. Indeed, that vast host, slaughtered by the shafts of Pandu’s son, began to fly away in all directions in that hour when the world was enveloped with gloom. Many kings, abandoning the animals and vehicles they rode, fled away on all sides, O monarch, overwhelmed with fear’.”
SECTION CLXI
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘BEHOLDING Somadatta shaking his large bow, Satyaki, addressing his driver, said, “Bear me towards Somadatta. I tell thee truely, O Suta, that I shall not return from battle today without having slain that foe, viz., that worst of the Kurus, the son of Valhika”. Thus addressed, the charioteer then urged to battle those fleet steeds of the Sindhu breed, white as conch and capable of bearing every weapon. Those steeds endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, bore Yuyudhana to battle like the steeds of Indra, O king, bearing the latter in days of yore when he proceeded to quell the Danavas. Beholding the Satwata hero thus advancing quickly in battle Somadatta, O king, fearlessly turned towards him. Scattering showers of shafts like the clouds pouring torrents of rain, he covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds covering the sun. Satyaki also, O bull of Bharata’s race, in that encounter fearlessly covered that bull amongst the Kurus with showers of shafts. Then Somadatta pierced that hero of Madhu’s race with sixty shafts in the chest. Satyaki, in turn, O king, pierced Somadatta with many whetted arrows. Mangled by each other with each-other’s shafts, those two warriors looked resplendent like a couple of flowering Kinsukas in the season of spring. Dyed all over with blood, those illustrious warriors of the Kuru and the Vrishni races looked at each other with their glances. Riding on their cars that coursed in circles, those grinders of foes, of terrible countenances, resembled two clouds pouring torrents of rain. Their bodies mangled and pierced all over with arrows, they looked, O king, like two porcupines. Pierced with countless shafts, equipped with wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent, O monarch, like a couple of tall trees covered with fire-flies. Their bodies looking bright with the blazing arrows sticking to them, those two mighty car-warriors looked in that battle like two angry elephants decked with burning torches. Then, O monarch, the mighty car-warrior, Somadatta, in that battle, cut off with a crescent-shaped arrow the large bow of Madhava. With great speed also, at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence, the Kuru hero then pierced Satyaki with five and twenty shafts, and once again with ten. Then Satyaki, taking up a tougher bow, quickly pierced Somadatta with five shafts. With another broad-headed arrow, Satyaki also, O king, smiling the while, cut off the golden standard of Valhika’s son. Somadatta, however, beholding his standard cut down, fearlessly pierced the grandson of Sini with five and twenty arrows. Satwata also, excited with rage, cut off with a razor-faced arrow the bow of Somadatta, in that encounter. And he also pierced Somadatta who then resembled a snake without fangs, with a hundred straight arrows, equipped with wings of gold. The mighty car-warrior Somadatta, then, who was endued with great strength taking up another bow, began to cover Satyaki (with showers of shafts). Satyaki too, inflamed with rage, pierced Somadatta with many shafts. Somadatta, in return, afflicted Satyaki with his arrowy showers. Then Bhima coming to the encounter, and fighting on behalf of Satyaki, struck Valhika’s son with ten shafts. Somadatta, however, fearlessly struck Bhimasena with many whetted arrows. Then Satyaki, inflamed with rage, aiming at Somadatta’s chest, shot a new and terrible Parigha equipped with a golden staff and hard as the thunder. The Kuru warrior, however, smiling the while, cut off that terrible Parigha advancing
with speed against him in two parts. That formidable Parigha of iron, then, thus cut off into two fragments, fell down like so many crests of a mountain riven by thunder. Then Satyaki, O king, with a broad-headed arrow, cut off in that encounter Somadatta’s bow, and then with five arrows, the leathern fence that cased his fingers. Then, O Bharata, with four other shafts he speedily despatched the four excellent steeds of the Kuru warrior to Yama’s presence. And then that tiger among car-warriors with another straight shaft, smiling the while, cut off from his trunk the head of Somadatta’s driver. Then he sought at Somadatta himself a terrible shaft of fiery effulgence, whetted on stone, steeped in oil, and equipped with wings of gold. That excellent and fierce shaft, shot by the mighty grandson of Sini, quickly fell like a hawk, O Lord, upon the chest of Somadatta. Deeply pierced by the mighty Satwata, the great car-warrior Somadatta, O monarch, fell down (from his car) and expired. Beholding the great car-warrior Somadatta slain there, thy warriors with a large throng of cars rushed against Yuyudhana. Meanwhile, the Pandava also, O king, with all the Prabhadrakas and accompanied by a large force, rushed against Drona’s army. Then Yudhishthira, excited with wrath, began, with his shafts, to strike and rout the troops of Bharadwaja’s son at the very sight of the latter. Beholding Yudhishthira thus agitating his troops, Drona, with eyes red in wrath, furiously rushed against him. The preceptor, then pierced the son of Pritha with seven keen arrows. Yudhishthira, in return, excited with wrath, pierced the preceptor with five arrows. Deeply pierced by the son of Pandu, the mighty bowman (Drona), licking the corners of his mouth for a moment, cut off both the standard and the bow of Yudhishthira. With great speed, at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence, that best of kings, whose bow had been cut off, took up another bow that was sufficiently tough and hard. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona with his steeds, driver, standard, and car, with a thousand arrows. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Afflicted with the strokes of those arrows and feeling great pain, Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, sat down for a while on the terrace of his car. Recovering his senses, sighing like a snake, and filled with great rage, the preceptor invoked into existence the Vayavya weapon. The valiant son of Pritha, bow in hand, fearlessly baffled that weapon with a similar weapon of his in that encounter. And the son of Pandu also cut in two fragments the large bow of the Brahmana. Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, took up another bow. That bull of Kuru’s race, Yudhishthira, cut off that bow also, with many keen shafts. Then Vasudeva, addressing Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, said, “Listen, O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, to what I say. Cease, O best of the Bharatas, to fight with Drona. Drona always striveth to seize thee in battle. I do not think it fit that thou shouldst fight with him. He who hath been created for Drona’s destruction will, without doubt, slay him. Leaving the preceptor, go where king Suyodhana is. Kings should fight with kings, they should not desire to fight with such as are not kings. Surrounded, therefore, by elephants and steeds and cars, repair thou thither, O son of Kunti, where Dhananjaya with myself, aided by a small force, and Bhima also, that tiger among men, are fighting with the Kurus”. Hearing these words of Vasudeva, king Yudhishthira the just, reflecting for a moment, proceeded to that part of the field where that slayer of foes, viz., Bhima, engaged in fierce battle, was slaughtering thy troops like the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. Making the earth resound with the loud rattle of his car, which resembled the roar of the clouds at the end of summer, king Yudhishthira the just, the (eldest) son of Pandu, took up the flank of Bhima, engaged in the slaughter of the foe. Drona also on that night, began to consume his foes, the Panchalas.’”
The Sanskrit Epics Page 527