Bhishma-Vadha Parva — Prowess of Drona

Sanjaya said Through your won wickedness, O monarch, have you been overwhelmed with this calamity. Those faults, O foremost of the Bharatas, in that sinful conduct towards the Pandavas of which you were cognizant, O king, were not descried by Duryodhana. It was through your fault, O ruler of men, that the game at dice was played in days past.

And it is through your fault also that this battle with the Pandavas has been brought about. Do you now reap the fruit of that sin which you have already committed.

One reaps the fruits of actions done by himself; so, O monarch, do you reap here and hereinafter the fruits of your won actions.

O monarch, through overwhelmed with this calamity, be still patient, and listen to the account of the battle as it happened, as I, O sire, go on recounting it.

Having shattered the ranks of your mighty army with his well well sharpened sharpened shafts Bhimasena, endued with heroism, encountered all the younger brothers of Duryodhana. Duryodhana, Durvishaha, Dusaha, Durmada, Jaya, Jayatsena, Vikarna, Chitrasena, Sudarshana, Charuchitra, Suvarma, Dushkarna, and Karna beholding these and many other mighty car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra near enough to himself, all excited with wrath, Bhimasena, endued with great strength, in that battle penetrated into the ranks of your mighty army protected by Bhishma himself.

Then seeing him standing amongst them all those kings said; Let us torture this one till he is deprived of his life.

Then that of Pritha (Bhima) encompassed by those brothers of his, all resolved (to slay him) appeared like the sun surrounded by the unpropitious planets and the time of the world's annihilation.

Though then the son of Pandu (Bhima) was in the very heart of the Kaurava array fear did son not overwhelm him as it did not overwhelm Indra in the midst of the Danava host during the fight, in days of old, between the Asuras and the celestial.

Then hundreds and thousands of carwarrior furnished with all kinds of weapons, all ready for the battle, assailed his single self with dreadful arrows.

Thereat the heroic Bhima unmindful of the sons of Dhritarashtra, slow in that battle many foremost (hostile) warriors, including elephantriders, cavalry-soldiers, car-warrior and others.

And knowing the intention of those cousins of his who were all resolved to slay him, Bhimasena, possessed of great strength determined. O king, to slay them all.

Thereafter, leaving aside his car and grasping his mace, that son of Pandu (Bhima) began to smite down that ocean like host belonging to the sons of Dhritarashtra.

When Bhimasena had thus broken the Kaurava host, Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, abandoning Drona hide there where Subala's son was.

That foremost of men, checking the mighty army of your sons, approached, in that battle, the car of Bhima left empty by himself.

Seeing, in that conflict, Vishoka the charioteer of Bhimasena, Dhrishtadyumna, O mighty monarch, became depressed in mind and was deprived of his senses.

Overwhelmed with grief, his voice choked up with tears and breathing heavily he questioned Vishoka saying: “Where is Bhimasena, dearer to me than my own life?"

Thereupon, folding his palm, Vishoka thus replied to Dhrishtadyumna saving: Leaving me here, the mighty son of Pandu (Bhima), possessed of great strength.

Has, alone and unsupported entered into the ocean like host of the sons of Dhritarashtra. He said to me, O foremost of men, these cheerful words.

Wait for me, O charioteer, restraining the steeds for a moment only, until I slay these that are resolved to destroy me.

Beholding then the highly powerful Bhima running mace in hand, all the car-warriors were transported with joy.

And when when that awful and general engagement raged, O monarch, you friend, breaking through the hostile ranks penetrated into it.

Listening to these words of Vishoka Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, possess of great strength, replied to the charioteer on the filed of battle saying: If today, discarding my affection for the Pandavas, I am to abandon Bhimasena in the fight, what needs have I then of my very life?

What will the Kshatriya say of me if I return without Bhima (from the filed of battle)? What will they say of me when they will hear that Bhima alone entered into the hostile ranks though I was there to help him in the conflict?

The gods headed by Shakra himself visit him with evil who abandoning his supporters in battle, returns home unscathed.

Moreover that highly powerful Bhima is my friend and relative. He is devoted to me, and I cherish a great devotion for that slayer of foes.

I shall therefore penetrate there where Vrikodara has already gone. see me slay the foes like Vasava slaying the Danavas”.

Having thus spoken that hero 0 Bharata, advanced through the centre of the hostile ranks following the track (opened and ) marked by Bhima with the elephants crushed by his mace. Then he (Dhrishtadyumna) beheld Bhima consuming the troops of the enemy and crushing in the conflict, many kings, like so many trees.

The car-warrior the cavalry-soldiers the foot-soldiers and the tuskers, being thus slaughtered in the fight, began to utter loud distressful cries.

Cries of 'Oh and 'Alas'. O sire, arose from the ranks of your soldiers, as they were slaughtered by the accomplished Bhima versed in diverse modes of warfare.

Thereafter they (the Kaurava combatants) exercised in all sorts of weapons surrounding, Vrikodara, began fearlessly to pour a shower of weapons on him from all sides.

Then that highly powerful son of Prishata, beheld that foremost of all wielders of weapons that hero of world-wide fame, that son of Pandu, viz., Bhimasena, charged on all sides by the serried and mighty ranks of the enemy:

And approaching Bhimasena, the son of Prishata comforted him whose body was mangled with shaft-cuts, who was treading on foot sand vomiting the poison of his anger and who was wielding his mace like the Destroyer himself as the time of the universal annihilation.

That high-souled hero (Dhrishtadyumna) quickly plucked off the arrows from Bhima's body and took him up on his car, and embracing the latter warmly, the former comforted him even in the very midst of the enemy.

Thereat, in that conflict, your son, approaching his brothers, quickly said to them. "This wicked-souled son of Drupada has now joined Bhimasena.

We shall proceed against him in close array in order to slay him, even before he, our enemy, challenges us to fight.” Hearing these words, the sons of Dhritarashtra, urged on by the command of their elder brother and unable to put up with the foe,

With uplifted weapons fell to slaughter him (Dhrishtadyumna), like so many dreadful comets falling down at the hour of destruction at the end of a Yuga. Grasping beautiful bows and shaking the earth with the twang of their bows and the rattle of their car-wheels, those heroes,

Showered arrows on the son of Drupada, like the clouds showering rain on mountain breasts. But the latter, accomplished in various modes of warfare, though thus wounded with keen-pointed shafts did not flinch.

On the other hand, O king, highly inflamed with rage against your sons, like Indra against he Asuras, that mighty car-warrior, the youthful son of Drupada, beholding your heroic sons stay before him in battle and exert their best for slaying him, placed on his bowstring the fierce dart called Pramohana, with a view to slay them all. Then those heroic warriors, having their senses and mind confounded by being struck with the Paramohana weapon lost all consciousness.

Seeing those sons of yours overwhelmed with a swoon and deprived of their senses, like those whose hours has come, thu Kaurava troops fled in all directions, with their steeds, elephants and chariots.

Meanwhile, Drona that foremost of all wielders of weapons, encountering Drupada, pierced him with there fierce arrows.

Thus, O king, wounded sore by Drona, that ruler of men, Drupada, fled from the field of battle, remembering his former enmity (with Bharadvaja's son).

Thereupon the highly powerful Drona, having vanquished Drupada, sounded his conch. Hearing the blare of his conch, all the Somakas were struck with terror.

Then Drona, endued with great energy, that foremost of wielders of weapons heard that your sons had been deprived of their senses in battle through the influence of the Pramohana weapon.

Thereupon, desirous of rescuing the princes, Drona hastily left that pare of the filed where he was (and went where your sons were); there, that mighty bowman possessed of great prowess namely the son of Bharadvaja beheld.

Dhrishtadyumna and Bhima career through that dreadful field; and that mighty car-warrior likewise beheld your sons over-whelmed with a swoon. Thereupon, he fixed on his bowstring the weapon known as Pranjana (capable of impairing consciousness) and therewith cut off the Pramohana weapon. Then your sons, those mighty car-warrior, regained their senses.

Thereupon, desirous of battle, they again encountered Bhima and the son of Prishata in battle. Then king Yudhishthira summoning his troops addressed them saying:

"Let twelve heroic car-warriors headed by Subhadra's son, protected with coats of mail, proceed following, to the best of their abilities, the track of Bhima and the son of Prishata.

Let intelligence be brought (of those two heroes). My mind is not unmisgiving". Thus commanded, the five Kaikeya princes, the sons of Draupadi, and the highly powerful Dhrishtaketu all powerful warriors, endued with heroism and proud of their manliness, saying 'yea' (to the words of Yudhishthira) marched forward when the sun had reached the meridian, placing Abhimanyu at their head and being supported by a mighty division of troops.

Those grinders of foes forming their troops in the array known as Suchimukha, penetrated, in that battle, into that car-division of the sons of Dhritarashtra.

Your troops, O ruler of men struck with the fear of Bhimasena and deprived of their senses by Dhrishtadyumna were not able to bear the charge of those fierce bowmen headed by Abhimanyu as the rushed, like a lady in the streets deprived of her consciousness by a Swoon.

Desirous of rescuing Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara, those fierce bowmen owning and standards decked with gold, approached the former breaking through the hostile ranks. Those two heroes viz., Vrikodara and Dhrishtadyumna himself, became filled with delight, and fell (with increase ardour) to slaughter your troops.

Then the prince of the Panchalas, the heroic of son of Prishata, beholding his own preceptor suddenly make towards himself, desisted from compassing the death of your sons.

Then placing Vrikodara on the car of the Kaikeya king he, inflamed with rage, rushed against Drona who was accomplished in the use of arrows and all other kinds of weapons.

Then the highly-powerful of Bharadvaja, that grinder of foes, excited with wrath severed, with a broad-head shaft, the bow of Dhrishtadyumna as the latter rushed against him with impetuosity.

Bearing in mind the broad he had eaten of his master king Duryodhana and desirous of encompassing his good, he (Drona) directed hundreds of other various shafts towards the son of Prishata.

Thereafter, grasping another bow that slayer of hostile heroes, namely the son of Prishata, son pierced Drona with seventy shafts all furnished with golden wings and whetted on stone.

Then again Drona, that grinder of foes, cut down Dhrishtadyumna's bow; and his four steeds he dispatched to the dreadful abode of Death with four excellent arrows; and. O Bharata, Drona also dispatched to Death Dhrishtadyumna's charioteer with a broadheaded shaft.

Thereupon that mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, possessed of long arms, speedily jumping down from his chariot of which the steeds were slain, mounted on the excellent car of Abhimanyu.

Then the Pandava host, consisting of chariots, elephants and steeds, begin to quake with the fear (of Drona) even before the very eyes of Bhimasena and the intelligent son of Prishata.

Beholding their array thus shattered by Drona of immeasurable prowess, all those mighty car-warrior were not able to check the former.

That army, then thus slaughter by Drona with his keen pointed arrows begin to whirl about,, like the agitated sea, on the filed of battle.

Beholding the hostile troops in that plight, your warriors were filled with delight and also beholding the aged preceptor consume the hostile array on all sides, O Bharata, the warriors sent up loud exclamations of “welldone" "well-done".