The escape of Yudhishthira

Dhritarashtra said When Arjuna had got the Sindhu king within reach, witat, O Sanjaya, did the Panchalas, assailed by Bharadvaja's son, do, encountering the Kurus?

Sanjaya said On that afternoon, O mighty monarch, in that hair-stirring battle that then raged between the Panchalas and the Kurus, Drona became as it were, the stake for which they fought.

Filled with delight and a desire for slaying Drona, the Panchalas, O sire, poured showers of arrows and uttered loud war-cries.

That battle between the Kurus and the Panchalas, dreadful, confused and wonderful, was like that which was fought between the Gods and the Asuras in days gone by.

Then all the Panchalas accompanied by the Pandavas, reaching Drona's chariot, displayed many mighty weapons, with a view to break through Drona's array.

Car-warriors mounted on their cars, causing the earth to shake under them and pouring their arrowy showers, proceeded towards Drona's car in a medium speed.

Then Vrihatkshatra, that mighty carwarriors among the Kekayas, rushed upon Drona discharging whetted arrows, resembling the thunderbolt of the great Indra.

Thereupon Kshemadhurti of illustrious renown quickly rushed against Brihatkshatra, shooting sharp shafts by hundreds and thousands.

Then again Dhristaketu that foremost among the Chedis, urged on by his great strength, quickly rushed against Kshemadhurti like the great Indra advancing upon the Asura Shambara.

Beholding this latter rush with great impetuosity like the Destroyer with mouth wide open, the mighty bowman, Viradhanva proceeded in all haste against him.

Then the valorous Drona began to resist king Yudhishthira and his troops, when they were exerting themselves for obtaining victory.

O master, your son Vikarna endued with great might assailed Nakula, endued with strength and versed in the art of fighting, who had been proceeding to fight.

That crusher of foes namely Durmukha, with many thousand swift-coursing arrows, covered Sahadeva who had been making towards himself.

Vyaghradatta held in check Satyaki that foremost of men and he caused the latter to tremble incessantly with his sharp shafts properly whetted.

The son of Somadatta resisted those best of men and foremost of car warriors viz., the sons of Draupadi, who filled with rage, had been shooting excellents shafts.

That mighty car-warrior the son of Rishyashringa, of dreadful appearance and fierce temper, opposed the enraged Bhimasena rushing upon Drona.

Then between that man and that Rakshasa, raged a fight that resembled, O king, the one that took place between Rama and Ravana in days gone by.

Then, O Bharata, that best of the Bharatas, viz., king Yudhishthira pierced Drona on all his vital limbs with ninety shafts of depressed knots.

Thus exasperated by the illustrious son of Kunti, O foremost of the Bharatas, Drona struck him on the chest with twenty-five arrows.

Then once more, with twenty shafts, Drona pierced him and his steeds, charioteer and standards, before the very eyes of all the bowmen present.

Then that son of Pandu, of virtuous soul, with his own showers of arrows checked those discharged by Drona, displaying great lightness of hands.

Then that best of bowman, viz., Drona excited to the highest pitch of fury, in that fight with the very virtuous king Yudhishthira, cutoff the bow of that illustrious warriors.

Thus depriving Yudhishthira of the use of his bow, that mighty warrior Drona quickly filled the pores of the latter's body with many thousand shafts.

Then beholding the king rendered invincible by the arrows of Bharadvaja's son, all creatures took him to be slain in battle.

Some thought that he had been compelled to turn his face away from the field. Some exclaimed saying-"That foremost of the king has been slain by the illustrious Brahmana.”

Thus the very virtuous king Yudhishthira was put in a very dangerous position. Then leaving aside his bow cut-off by Bharadvaja's son in that battle he, took up another effulgent bow of celestial make and endued with greater loughness.

Then all those arrows shot by thousands by Drona that hero cut-off in battle. Indeed this looked wonderful.

O king, having cut-off all those arrows and with his eyes rendered coppery in rage. He took up a lance capable of penetrating even though the very mountains-lance, of which the stave was of gold, which was terror-inspiring, dreadful and furnished with eight bells.

Wielding that lance that mighty warrior became filled with rage and uttered a loud warcry. And O Bharata, with that war-cry of his, he seemed to frighten all creatures.

Beholding that lance raised by the very virtuous king in that battle, all creatures present, pronounced benedictions on Drona.

Then that lance hurled by the arms of the king, resembling a snake that has cast off its slough and illumining the cardinal and subsidiary quarters coursed towards Drona's division like a she-snake of fiery mouth.

Then O ruler off men, beholding that lance coursing towards himself with great force, Drona that foremost of all warrior versed in the use of weapons, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon.

That weapon, having burnt into ashes that terrible-looking lance flew quickly towards the chariot of the illustrious son of Pandu.

Thereupon king Yudhishthira endued with great prudence, O sire, baffled that weapon of Drona flying at himself, by invoking the Brahma weapon.

Then also piercing Drona with five depressed-knotted razor-headed shafts of great sharpness, he cut-off his mighty bow.

Thereupon Drona, that crusher of foes, leaving aside the severed bow hurled, O sire, quickly a mace upon the son of Dharma (Yudhishthira).

Then beholding that mace fall quickly upon himself, king Yudhishthira took up another mace and afflicter of your foes, he also hurled it.

Those two maces hurled with force, clashing against one another emitted fire in consequence of the dash and then fell on the ground.

Then highly enraged, O sire, Drona slew the horses of the very virtuous virtuous king Yudhishthira, with four excellent sharp shafts of keen-points.

With another broad-headed shaft he cut-off the latter's bow that resembled the rain-bow. He cut down his standard with a single arrow and afflicted Pandu's son with another three.

Then quickly jumping down from the chariot whose horses had been slain, Yudhishthira stood on the field, weaponless and with his arms upraised, O foremost of the Bharatas.

Beholding him careless and specially, weaponless Drona of firm vow and great lightness of hands held in bay all the enemy's soldiers, Olord.

By discharging numerous sharp arrows and like a fierce lion assailing a deer, he then assailed the king.

Beholding the king assailed by Drona that slayer of foes the Pandavas began to exclaim saying, 'Alas'.

The king is captured, the king is seized by the son of Bharadvaja. Even these were the cries that were then uttered by the Pandava troops, O Bharata.

Then ascending with quickness on the chariut of Sahadeva, king Yudhishthira the son of Kunti, fled away from the field of battle, being borne away by fleetest steeds.