Drona-Vadha Parva — The utterance of the untruth by Yudhishthira

Sanjaya said Then Drona effected a fierce carnage in the ranks of the Panchala troops, like the enraged Shakra causing a great slaughter amongst the Danava troops in days gone by.

O mighty monarch, the enemies of Drona all mighty car-warriors and possessed of great strength, though thus slaughtered by his arrows, did not shrink in fear from him.

Then those mighty car-warriors, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas, engaged in that battle, O king, rushed upon Drona's self.

Slaughtered with arrows and darts and trying to encompass Drona on all sides, the yells they uttered were terrible and loud.

Then beholding the slaughter of the Panchalas by the high-souled Drona and seeing his weapons enshroud all sides, the Pandavas became frightened.

Beholding the profuse destruction of horses and foot-soldiers in the battle, the Pandava troops, O king, became hopeless regarding their victory.

"Is not Drona that warrior well-versed in the use of cxcellent weapons going to consume us all, like a raging conflagration consuming a heap of straw at the expiration of the winter season?

None can now even look at him in battle. Knowing the rules of fair combat even Arjuna will not now fight with him." (Even thus did they talk with each other).

Then beholding the sons of Kunti dismayed and afflicted by the arrows of Drona the intelligent Kesava ever solicitous of the welfare

This foremost of all wielders of bows and arrows in incapable of being vanquished in battle by any one, one excepting the gods with Vasava at their head.

When he lays aside his weapons in battle, he may be slain even by men. O you sons of Pandu, abandoning virtue, do you therefore now bctake yourself to contrivances for securing victory in battle.

Before Drona drawn by horses of golden colours succeeds in slaying us all. I think, if Ashvatthaman be killed, he will desist from fighting.

Let some one among us therefore tell him that Ashvatthaman has been slain in the battle, But O king, Kunti's son Dhananjaya did not accept this advice of Krishna.

Others approved of it. Yudhishthira accepted it with much reluctance. Then the mighty-armed Bhiina, O monarch, slew with his mace, a terrible prodigious and foecrushing elephant called Ashvatthaman belonging to Indravarman the ruler of the Malavas.

Then Bhimasena approaching Drona with a little bashfulness began to exclaim to the top of his voice “Ashvatthaman is slain."

The elephant known by the name of Ashvatthaman having been slain, Bhima spoke of Ashvatthainan's death. Knowing the true fact in his mind, Bhima then spoke what was false.

Drona having heard this very dis-agreeable words of Bhimasena and he having reflected upon them in his mind, his limbs as if began to dissolve like sand in water.

But knowing fully the prowess of his own son, he soon came to regard that news as false and therefore hearing of his slaughter he did not become unmanned.

Soon recovering his senses he became comforted, as he recollected that son was incapable of being assailed by the enemy. Rushing upon the son of Parshata and impelled by a desire to slay that brave warrior who was destined to be his slayer, he covered the former with thousands of sharp arrows furnished with wings of the Kanka feather.

Thereupon twenty thousand illustrious carwarriors of the Panchala clan, covered him, thus careering on the field, with numerous shafts from all sides.

O ruler of men, covered as he then was with those arrows, we could not seen that mighty car-warrior Drona, even as men cannot seen the sun covered when it is with clouds during the rainy season.

Then blowing off all those arrows of the Panchalas and with a view to effect the death of these heroic Panchala warriors, the mighty car-warrior Drona, the afflicter of hostile troops, invoked into existence a Brahma weapon. At this time he looked resplendent like a blazing fire without a streak of smoke.

He then cut-off, in that great battle, innumerable heads of Panchala warriors as also their mace-like arms wearing golden ornaments.

Thus slaughtered by the son of Bharadvaja the royal warriors the began to fall down on the earth, like so many trees up-rooted by the force of the tempest.

Miry with the flesh and blood of all the elephants and horses fallen in the battle, O Bharata, the earth appeared to he impassable.

Having slain twenty thousand car-warriors of the Panchalas, Drona stood on the battlefield like a blazing fire free from even a single curl of smoke.

Thereafter filled with rage, the puissant son of Bharadvaja, lopped off the head of Vasudana from his trunk, by means of a bhalla.

He then slew five hundred Matsyas, six thousand Srinjayas and then again ten thousand elephants and ten thousand steads.

Then beholding Drona stay on the field for the extermination of the Kshatriya race, the following Rishis headed by the God of Fire approached him.

They were, Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja, Goutama, Vasistha, Kasyapa and Atri, the Sikatas, the Prisnis, Garga, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas, the Vrigus, the Angiras and other mighty sages of subtle forms; these all were desirous of taking Drona to the region of Brahma.

All these then addressed Drona, that ornament of battle, into these words-'You are fighting wrongly, the hour of your death has come.

Cast away your weapons, O Drona and look at us standing before you. Hence-forward it behoves you not to perform cruel acts like these.

You are learned in the Vedas and their auxiliaries and devoted truth and righteousness specially you are a Brahman, so these acts do not become you.

Lay aside your weapons, shake off the pale of error that hangs over you and betake yourself to the eternal path (of virtue). Today, the days of your earthly habitation have been numbered.

You have today consumed with your Brahma weapon many men who are ignorant of the use of weapons. This act which you have done is not at all praise-worthy.

O Drona, quickly lay you weapons aside in this battle; do not hesitate O twice-born one, you should not perpetrate such sinful acts any longer.

Having heard these words of the sages, as also the words of Bhimasena and also beholding Dhristadyumna stand before him in battle, Drona was dejected at heart.

Burning with grief and extremely pained, he then inquired of king Yudhishthira the son of Kunti whether his son was really slain or not.

Drona knew it for certain, the Pritha's son would never tell a lie, not even for the sake of getting the earth of the three worlds.

For that reason, that foremost of the regenerate ones questioned Yudhishthira in exclusion of every body else. Since the days of the latter's boyhood, Drona had hoped to hear truth from him.

Meanwhile, O king, Govinda knowing that Drona, that foremost of all combatants, could sweep away the Pandavas off the face of the carth, was very much dejected and then addressing Yudhishthira he said

"If influenced by rage Drona fights only for half a day, then I tell you truly, your troops are sure to be destroyed.

Save us from Drona; under the circumstances as the present falsehood is better than truth. Speaking falsehood for the sake of saving a life one does not become a sinner.

When they both were thus speaking with each other, Bhimasena said-"As soon as, O king, I heard of the means by which the illustrious Drona might be slain.

Putting forth my prowess in battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant resembling that of Shakra, belonging to Indravarman, the Chief of the Malavas who were standing in your army. I then went to Drona and told him, 'Ashvatthaman has been slain, O Brahman; desist from fighting.'

Indeed, O foremost of men, the preceptor Drona did not believe in the veracity of my assertion; desirous of victory as you are, accept the counsel of Govinda.

O monarch, inform Drona that the son of Saradvat's daughter is dead. Thus spoken by you that foremost of the Brahmanas will cease to fight.

O ruler of men, you are well-known in the three words for your truthfulness." Having heard these words of Bhima and influenced by the counsel of Krishna.

And owing to the inevitability of Fate, O king, Yudhishthira decided to say, what he was called upon to say. Afraid of speaking lies, but anxious to obtain victory, Yudhishthira.

Clearly said that Ashvatthama was dead, adding indistinctly the word elephant after the name Ashvatthama. Ere now the chariot of Yudhishthira had remained at a height of four fingers' breadth from the earth's surface;

After he had uttered that lie his steeds touched the earth. Hearing these words from the lips of Yudhishthira, Drona that mighty car-warrior.

Overwhelmed with grief on account of the supposed death of his son, gave way to despair. Hearing the words of the sages, great offender against the illustrious Pandavas. Now hearing that his son had been slain he became completely senseless and filled with anxiety at the sight of Dhristadyumna, O monarch, the chastiser of foes was not able to fight as before.