Ghatotkacha-Vadha Parva — The battle between Drona and Yudhishthira

Sanjaya said Seeing that the sons of Drupada and those of Kuntibhoja as well as thousands of Rakshasas were destroyed by the son of Drona.

Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Dhristadyumna, the son of Prishata and Yuyudhana (all) united together, re-engaged their attention to battle.

Growing angry again at seeing Satyaki in battle, O Bharata, Somadatta covered him with mighty discharge of arrows.

Then the battle that took place between your army and that of the enemy was dreadful and highly marvellous to look at, (in which) both parties were desirous of gaining the victory.

Bhima, for the purpose of (helping) Sattavat, pierced the Kaurava (Somadatta) with ten (arrows). Somadatta too struck that hero in return with a hundred (darts).

(Then) Sattavat, furious with wrath, struck that old one smitten with grief for the slaughter of his son (by Satyaki) and who was, like Yayati, the son of Nahusha, possessed of every noble quality, with ten sharpened arrows having the force of the thunder. After piercing him (with these ten arrows) with great mighty he (i.e. Sayiaki) struck him again with seven (more).

Bhimasena, also for the purpose of (helping) Satyaki, hurled a new and formidable Parigha at the head of Somadatta.

Sattvata too, in anger, discharged at the chest of Somadatta, in that encounter, a keen and excellent dart, furnished with beautiful wings and as (furious) as the fire itself.

Both the formidable Parigha and the arrow, having at one and the same time, fallen upon the body of the heroic Somadatta, that mighty car-warrior fell down.

His son being deprived of consciousness, Valhika, discharging showers of arrows like the clouds (pouring) torrents of rain during (the rainy, season), rushed at him.

Then Bhima, for the sake of Satyaki, tormented and pierced, in that encounter, the high-souled Balhika with nine arrows.

Like Purandara hurling the thunder bolt, the mighty arrmed son of Partha. (i.e., Valhika), smitten with ire, struck Bhima on the chest with an arrow.

Thus struck (by Valhika) Bhima trembled and (then) fell into a swoon. Then that powerful one, recovering his senses, hurled a mace at him.

That (mace) hurled by the Pandava (Bhimasena) smashed the head of Valhika. He (then) fell down dead on the earth like a tree struck by lightning.

That foremost of men, the heroic Valhika being (thus) slain, your ten sons, viz., Nagadatta, Dhridaratha, Viravahu, Ayobhuja, Dridha, Suhasta, Viraja, Pramatha and Ugrayayin; (each of whom) resembled the son of Dasharatha (i.e. Rama) began to torment Bhima.

Filled with ire on beholding them, Bhima, aiming at each of them one after the other, struck each of them in the vital parts with arrows capable of bearing much strain.

Pierced (with those arrows) they fell down from their cars deprived of life and energy as trees broken by a furious hurricane (fall down) from the mountain summits.

Having destroyed those (ten) sons of your with ten arrows Bhima covered Vrishasena, the beloved son of Karna (with downpours of shafts).

Then the renowned brother of Karna, Vrikaratha by name, pierced Bhima with arrows. (But) that hero (i.e., Bhima) soon slew him.

Then the heroic Bhima, having killed seven car-warriors among your brothers-in-law, with arrows, buried Satachandra into the earth (by main force), O Bharata.

Unable to put up with the destruction of that great car-warrior Satachandra, the brothers of Shakuni viz., the heroic Gavaksha, Sarava, Vibhu (and two others).

Rushing against Bhimasena, oppressed him with keen darts. Afflicted with those shafts like a mountain with torrents of rain, he.

Destroyed those five kings endued with great prowess, with five arrows. Those foremost of kings (who were present in that battle) seeing the destruction of those five heroes began to waver.

Then Yudhishthira began angrily to crush borm (Drona) and in that of your sons, O sinless one.

(And) in that battle Yudhishthira sent to the region of Death, the Ambhastas, the Malavas, the heroic Trigartas and the Sivis.

Chopping off the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas and the Vashatikas, he made the earth muddy with (their) flesh and blood.

(And), O king, in a moment he sent to the region of Yama, with a number of darts, the heroic Youdheyas, the Malavas and hosts of the Madrakas in battle.

Then a tumultuous uproar (such as) “Slay, seize, capture, pierce and cut to pieces”-arose in the direction of Yudhishthira's car.

Seeing Yudhishthira afflict your troops Drona, urged on by your son surrounded him (i.e. Yudhishthira) with arrows.

Drona also, exceedingly enraged, discharged at that Pandava the weapon presided over by Vayu. over by Vayu. But he (i.e., Yudhishthira) destroyed that celestial weapon with (another) weapon.

That weapon being baffled by Yudhishthira, the son of Bharadvaja, in great rage, hurled at the Pandu the Varuna and Agneya,. The Teshra and the Savitra weapon, with desire of destroying him. All those weapons that were (either) hurled (or) being hurled by the Pot-born, were dauntlessly baffled by that mighty-armed and righteous one. Desirous of accomplishing his vow the Pat-born.

Devoted to the welfare of your son, called into existence the weapons presided over by Varuna or Prajapati, in order to slay the son of Dharma, O Bharata.

(Then) the lord of the Kurus (i.e. Yudhishthira) walking like a lion or elephant endued with a broad chest and large red eyes and possessed of an energy not less (then that of Drona) called into existence the Mahendra weapon, by means of which he baffled the weapon of Drona.

All those weapons of his being baffled, Drona was filled with ire; and desirous of slaying Yudhishthira, he called into existence the weapon presided over by Brahma.

Being enveloped in a dismal darkness, we could not, then, discern anything. And, O lord of the earth, all the creatures experienced a terrible horror.

Seeing that the Brahma weapon was uplifted, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, baffled that weapon by means of Brahma weapon, O king of kings.

Then the principal warriors (of the two armies) praised those two most exalted of men, those two great bowmen, viz., Drona and the son of Pritha, who were conversant with all the (arts of) warfare.

Leaving the son of Kunti, Drona, then, whose eyes became as red as copper in rage, began to destroy, by means of weapons, the army of Drupada.

The Panchalas, (thus) destroyed by Drona fled away in terror in the very presence of Bhimasena and in that of the high-souled Pritha.

Then Kiriti and Bhima, rallying their own ariny, all on a sudden attacked, with a great car-force, your army.

Vibhatsu attacking the right and Vrikodara the left flank (of your army), discharged at the son of Bharadvaja mighty downpours of shafts.

The Kakeyas, the Srinjayas and the highly energetic Panchalas, O great king, together with the Matsyas and the Sattvata followed suit.

Then the Bharata army, butchered by Kiriti and (overpowered) with sleep and darkness, dispersed again.

Although, O great king, Drona himself and your son tried to rally them, yet they were not capable of reducing the warriors to order.