The display of Drona's prowess

Sanjaya said On the afternoon, O mighty monarch, a terrible battle was fought between Drona and the Somakas, battle whose din resembled the rumble of the rain cloud Parjannya itself.

That best of heroes among men, mounted on his chariot to which were yoked red steeds, viz., Drona then assailed the Pandavas, firmly resolved to fight with them.

That fierce bowman, endued with great might and energy, that hero ever engaged in doing good to yourself, that one born in an excellent jar, that puissant son of Bharadvaja, slaying, O king, many best of heroes among the enemy, appeared O Bharata, to sport on the field of battle.

Him encountered Vrihadkshatra that mighty car-warrior among the Kekayas, the eldest of his five brothers and difficult of being resisted in battle.

Discharging sharp arrows incessantly, he afflicted the preceptor sorely, like a mighty cloud afflicting the mountain Gandhamadana by pouring its watery contents on it.

At hin, O mighty monarch, excited with wrath Drona sped ten and five shafts, all whetted on stone and furnished with wings of gold.

Then Vrihadkshatra cheerful cut-off each of those arrows shot by Drona and looking like so many enraged snakes of virulent poison, with five shafts of his own.

Then seeing his lightness of hands, that foremost of the regenerate ones smiled and once more, sped at him eight shafts of depressed knots.

Beholding those shafts shot from Drona's bow coursing swiftly towards himself, Vrihadkshatra baffled them in battle with an equal number of sharp arrows shot by himself.

Then your troops, O mighty monarch were filled with surprise, beholding Vrihadkshatra achieve that very difficult feat.

Thereupon, O king, applauding Vrihadkshatra, Drona invoked into existence the invincible Brahma-weapon of celestial make.

Beholding that weapon discharged by Drona in battle, the Kekaya prince, O foremost of kings, cut down that weapon with his own Brahma weapon.

Then O Bharata, when the Brahma weapon had been baffled, Vrihadkshatra pierced the Brahmana with sixty shafts, whetted on stones and furnished with wings of gold.

Then that foremost of men Drona directed several Nacharas at him; these Naracharas penetrating through his armour entered the earth.

Like, O best of kings, black snakes freed from their sloughs, entering into their holes in anthills, those arrows penetrating through the Kekaya prince entered the earth.

Then, O mighty monarch, deeply pierced with the arrows of Drona, the Kaikaya prince excited to the highest pitch of fury began to roll his charming eyes.

He then pierced Drona with seventy shafts whetted on stone and furnished with golden wings; he pierced the latter's charioteer in his vital parts with (fierce) darts.

O sire, Drona then pierced with numerous arrows by the Kekaya prince Vrihatkshatra, sped at his car many arrows of extreme sharpness.

Then confounding that mighty car-warrior Vrihatkshatra, Drona slew his four steeds with four winged shafts.

He then felled the former's charioteer from his niche of the car, with a single arrow. Cutting off his standard and umbrella with another two arrows, he felled them on the ground.

Then that foremost among the regenerate ones, with a well directed Naracha pierced Vrihatkshatra on his breast, where-upon the latter then fell down, with his heart torn open.

When Brihatkshatra that mighty car-warrior was thus slain, O king the son of Sisupala highly enraged addressing his charioteer said-

"O charioteer, proceed to the spot where the cuirassed Drona stands, slaughtering the Kekaya, the Panchala divisions."

Hearing those words of that foremost of car-warriors, the charioteer took him to the spot where Drona was, by means of his fleei steeds of Kamboja breed.

Then swelling with his might, that foremost of the Chedis, viz., slaughtering him, like a fly falling upon fire.

He then pierced Drona and his steeds. And once more he struck his adversary with sharp arrows, like a man rousing a sleeping tiger.

Then Drona, with a sharp razor-faced arrow winged with feathers of vultures. cut-off in the middle, the bow of that mighty warrior striving in battle.

Thereupon that son of Sisupala, that mighty car-warrior, taking up another bow pierced Drona with numerous shafts equipped with wings of the feather of the peacock and the Kanka bird.

Then Drona slaying with four arrows his four steeds, smilingly severed the head of his charioteer from his trunk.

He then pierced Dhristaketu himself with twenty five arrows. The prince of the Chedis then leaping off from his chariot, grasped a mace.

And hurled it at the son of Bharadvaja like an enraged she-snake. Beholding that heavy mace endued with the strength of adamant and adorned with gold, course towards himself like the last night of a man's existence, the son of Bharadvaja cut it off with many thousands of whetted arrows.

Cut off by numerous shafts by the son of Bharadvaja that mace, O sire, fell down, ) Kaurava, filling the earth with the noise it created.

Beholding the mace repulsed, the valiant Dhristaketu hurled at Drona first a lance and then a javelin decked with gold.

Drona then cutting off that lance with five shafts, cut-off the dart with another five. Then both those missiles cut-off, dropped on the ground like two snakes torn to pieces by Garuda.

Thereafter the highly puissant son of Bharadvaja shot a shaft for the destruction of Dhristaketu who was striving to slay him.

Penetrating through the breast plate and the breast of Dhristaketu of infinite energy, that dart entered the carth like a swan diving into a lake overgrown with lotuses.

Like a hungry jay catching and devouring a little insect, Drona of great heroism devoured Dhristaketu in that battle.

When the Chedi ruler was thus slain, his son versed in the use of excellent weapons became excited with wrath and sought to achieve the task his after left undone.

Him also Diona smilingly dispatched to the mansion of Death by means of his shafts, like a large and ferocious tiger slaying a young deer in the deep forest.

While the Pandava troops were being thus reduced in number, O Bharata, the brave son of Jarasandha rushed against, Drona.

Then with his arrowy showers he quickly rendered Drona in visible, like the clouds rendering the sun invisible.

Beholding that lightness of hands displayed by him, Drona, that crusher of Kshatriyas, began to discharge arrows by hundreds and thousands.

Then Drona completely covering that foremost of car-warrior name. Jarasadha's son riding on a golden chariot, quickly slew him, before the very eyes of all the warriors.

Whoever was carried before Drona, he became his destroyer. And like Death at the time of the dissolution, he wrested the lives out of all creatures.

Thereupon, 0 mighty monarch, proclaiming his name in the battle, Drona began to cover the Pandava troops with his thousands of shafts.

Shot by Drona, those arrows with his name engraved on them and whetted on stone, began to dispatch men, elephants and horses by hundreds in that battle.

Then like mighty Asuras slain by Takra, they were being slaughtered by Drona. The Panchalas then began to tremble like kine afflicted with the chill of winter,

Who, O foremost of the Bharatas, the Pandava troops were thus being slaughtered by Drona, a loud wail of agony was uttered them.

Scorched with the rays of the sun and wounded with the arrows of Drona, the Panchalas, panic struck as they were, became seized with anxiety.

Confounded by the net-work of arrows shot by Bharadvaja's son, the Panchala warriors then thought themselves to be seized by the thighs by alligators.

But after a while, O mighty monarch, the Chedis, the Srinjayas, the Kasis and the Kosalas, cheerfully rushed against the son of Bharadvaja from a desire for battle.

The Chedis, the Pandavas and the Panchalas then addressed another saying-Drona is slain, Drona is slain. Thus speaking they assailed Drona.

Then those foremost of men fell upon Drona of great effulgence in that battle, desirous of dispatching the latter to the abodes of Death.

As those heroes were struggling against him, the son of Bharadvaja with his arrows, dispatched them to the regions of Death, specially those foremost among the Chedis. one

When the best warrior of the Chedis were becoming reduced in number, the Panchalas began to tremble, being afflicted by the shafts of Drona.

Beholding those terrible feats of Drona, 0) sire they began to exclaim aloud saying, 'O Bharata,' 'Oh Bhimasena,; 'O Dhrishtadyumna.'

They said-Surely this Brahmana has practised mighty ascetic austerities, by virtue of which enraged in battle he is consuming these foremost of Kshatriyas.

The duty of a Kshatriya is to fight and that of a Brahmana to practise severe austerities. He nas practised austerities and is skilled in the use of weapons and so he burns down by his very glance.

The foremost of Kshatriyas entering into the blazing fire of Drona, dreadful and unquenchable, are being brunt down, O Bharata.

The highly effulgence Drona putting forth his prowess and his strength, is confounding all creatures and is slaying all our troops.'

Hearing those words of the Panchalas, Kshatradharma withstood Drona. Then the mighty Kshatradharma filled with rage, cut-off with a crescent-shaped arrow Drona's bow with shafts fixed on its string. Thereat excited to the highest pitch of fury that crusher of Kshatriyas viz., Drona.

Took up another bow, resplendent and capable of bearing great strain. Placing on its string a sharp arrow fatal to the foe.

The puissant Preceptor let it go drawing the bow-string back to the very ears. That arrow then killing Kshatradharman fell down on the Earth's surface.

With his heart cleft oper, he fell down on the ground from his vehicle. Upon the Death of Dhristadyumna's son, the troops to tremble (in fear).

Thereafter the mighty Chekitana-countered Drona and piercing the latter with ten arrows, once more wounded him on the breast.

He wounded Drona's charioteer with four and his four steeds with another four arrows. The preceptor then pierced the right arm of his adversary with sixteen arrows.

He pierced his standard with sixteen and his charioteer with seven shafts. When Chekitana's charioteer was killed, the horses ran wildly dragging the car along with them.

Then, O sire, beholding the horseless and the driverless chariot of Chekitana covered with Drona's arrow in battle.

The Pandavas and the Panchalas were seized with a great panic; then routing completely those assembled host of heroes consisting of Chedis, Panchalas and the Srinjayas, Drona appeared highly beautiful, O sire. With his hoary locks flowing down to the ear, blue in complexion, full eighty-five years of age.

The venerable Drona, though burdened with the weight of years then moved on the field like a youth of sixteen. Then O mighty monarch, as Drona careered fearlessly on the field of battle.

His adversaries considered him to be none other than Indra himself armed with the thunder. Then, O king, the intelligent, Drupada

‘Like a hungry tiger slaying inferior animals, Drona is slaying these Kshatriyas. Surely the wicked Duryodhana will obtain very miserable regions after Death.

It is through his covetousness that these foremost of the Kshatriyas are lying prostrate on the field of battle being slain by hundreds, like so many quartered bovine bulls.

Weltering in blood and being the food of the jackals and the dogs.” O mighty monarch, thus speaking, that commander of Aukshauhini, Drupada, placing the Parthas before him, quickly rushed against Drona. a

Weltering in blood and being the food of the jackals and the dogs.” O mighty monarch, thus speaking, that commander of Aukshauhini, Drupada, placing the Parthas before him, quickly rushed against Drona. a