Dronabhisheka Parva — The solemn declaration of Drona to capture Yudhishthira

Sanjaya said When Drona had promised the capture of the king under these limitations your soldiers, hearing of the probable capture of Yudhishthira.

Uttered many loud shouts like the roars of lions, accompanying them with the noise of their (flying) shafts and the sound of their conchs. The virtuous king Yudhishthira, O Bharata, was soon apprised, in detail, of everything regarding the purposes of the son of Bharadvaja, by his trusty emissaries. Thereupon having summoned together all his brothers and the other monarchs of his host.

The very righteous king addressed these words to Dhananjaya-"O foremost of men today you have heard of the design of Drona.

Adopt such course of action, as will prevent the execution of that design. Truc it is that Drona the destroyer of his foes, has pledged his troth with certain limitations.

But those limitations, O mighty warrior, have been all made dependent on you, by him (Drona). Therefore, O mighty-armed one, do you this day fight by my side, so that Duryodhana may not secure the fruition of his desire through the agency of Drona."

Arjuna said As, the slaughter of my own preceptor can never be perpetrated by me, so, also, O monarch, I can never agree to abandon you.

Rather, O son of Pandu, I would give up my life in battle, than be antagonistic to my preceplor, at any tiine.

Having captured you in battle, the son of Dhritarashtra, desires to possess the kingdom; but in this world of living beings, he will never obtain the fruition of his desire.

The conclave dome with the stars may drop down; the earth itself may be shattered to pieces; yet Drona will never capture you, so long as I live.

Even if the wielder of the thunderbolt himself or Vishnu accompanied by the celestials, assists him in battle, still, he shall never capture you in battle.

O foremost of monarchs, so long as I am alive, you need not entertain any apprehension from Drona the foremost of all wielders of weapon or any body else.

Moreover, O foremost of kings, I say that my resolution is decided. I never think of perjuring myself; I never think of my defeat. I never think of keeping the least part, of any vow I may take, unredeemed.

Sanjaya said Thereupon, O monarch, in the camp of the Pandavas, chonchs and drums and Mridangas together with the Anakas, were simultaneously sounded.

There arose also loud shouts, like the roar of lions, uttered by the high-souled Pandavas; and the deafening sound resulting from the twang of their bow-strings and the striking of their palms against their arīns, reached the very skies.

Hearing that blare of the conchs sounded by the highly-puissant sons of Pandu, your soldiers in their camp struck up various instruments.

Thereafter, O Bharata, your, as well their, divisions were formed into battle-array; and slowly then advanced desirous of encountering one another in battle.

Then raged a dreadful and hair-stirring battle, between the Pandavas and the Kurus, as also between Drona and the Panchalas.

Struggling to the best of their endeavours, to slay the division of Drona, the Srinjayas could not accomplish their purpose, as the divisions were protected by Drona himself.

So also the car-warriors of your son's host, skillful in smiting down the enemy could not vanguish the Pandava division led by the diadem-decked Arjuna himself.

Protected by Drona and Arjuna respectively, the two armies, appeared to stand still like two blossoming forests, in the silence of the night.

Then, O monarch, that one (Drona) riding on the golden car like the sun himself in radiance, crushing hosts of the Pandavas, careed at will through its various divisions.

Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas considered, through fright, that single carwarrior mounted on a swift-moving car and of great activity in battle, as multiplied in to many.

Dreadful shafts shot by him, whizzed in all directions, terrifying, O monarch, the army belonging to the son of Pandu.

Drona then appeared like the midday sun burning with a hundred light rays that drew out the perspiration from the body.

O Bharata, as the Danavas were unable to look at the great Indra, so none among ti army of the sons of Pandu, was able to look his wrathful self (Drona) in battle.

Then that most puissant son of Bharadvaja, stupefying the whole host, speedily blew of the division of Dhrishtadyumna with his sharpened arrows.

Obstructing the points of the compass 2 overspreading the whole welkin with his straight-going shafts, Drona commend crushing the division of the Pandava host, even at the place where the son of Prishata was.