Communication of the intelligence of Drona's death to Ashvatthama

Sanjaya said Upon the slaughter of Drona, O king, the Kurus, afflicted with the weapons of their enemies, their foremost warrior slain and themselves confounded-began to indulge copiously in grief,

Beholding their enemies then elated with joy and success, they repeatedly trembled in fear. O ruler of men, they were panic-stricken and depressed and their eyes were filled with tears.

They were distracted (with sorrow), their courage gone and themselves reduced in splendour under the burden of grief. Uttering piteous wails, they then surrounded your son.

Covered with dust, trembling (in every limbs), gazing (vacantly) at the ten points of the compass, their eyes flooded with tears, they looked like the Daityas upon the fall of Hiranyaksha in days of yore.

Surrounded by those panic-stricken troops of his, who then looked like puny animals, your son could not stay on the field and went away from it.

Those warriors of yours, O Bharata, worn out with hunger and thirst and scorched by the burning rays of the sun were exceedingly dejected.

Beholding that unthought-of over-throw of Bharadvaja's son, that was like falling the sun on the earth or the drying up of the ocean or the transplantation of Meru nountain or the defeat of Vasava himself, your troops, O king, began to fly away, panic lending speed to their legs.

Beholding him of the golden car slain, Sakuni the king of the Gandharvas, with his terrified and affrighted followers fled in all haste.

Taking with him his numerous divisions that were flying with all their standards, Suta's son also, out of fear, fled away.

The ruler of the Madras viz., Salva gathering together his divisions abounding in cars, elephants and steeds and looking vacantly on all sides, fled away, out of fear.

Kripa the son of Sharadvata also fled, saying Alas, Alas and taking with him his divisions consisting mostly of elephants and infantry, of which the greater part had been slaughtered.

Kritavarman, surrounded by the Bhoja division and the remnants of the Kalingas, Asratta and Valhikas, fled away borne by his swift steeds.

Beholding Drona slain, Uluka, filled with fear and with his infantry divisions, fled away in great speed.

Handsome, youthful in years and wellknown for his bravery, Dussassana inspired with great fear, fled away being surrounded by his elephant division.

Beholding Drona overthrown Vrishasena fled in haste, taking away with him ten thousand chariots and three thousand tusked clephants.

Your the mighty car-warrior Duryodhana also, O king, then fled from the field attended by cars, elephants and steeds and surrounded by foot-soldiers.

Beholding Drona overthrown, O king, Susarman fled away, taking with him the remmants of the Samshaptakas, slain by the diadem-decked Arjuna.

Beholding him of the golden car slain, men began to fly on all sides, riding on their elephants and cars and urging on their steeds.

son Sonne urging on their sires, others their brothers and others their uncles and others their sons and other companions, the Kurus fled away in haste.

Some exhorting their troops to make haste and others their nephews and other kinsmen, fled away in all directions.

Their hair dishevelled and their accouterments falling off, no two persons were seen to fly together; their courage gone and their splendour destroyed, men then thought that the Kuru army was completely annihilated.

Others among your troops fled, O lord, throwing off their coats of mail. O foremost of the Bharatas, then your troops addressing one another loudly said

"Wait, Wait"'; but none of them who thus spoke remained a moment on the field. Abandoning their vehicles and chariots decked with ornaments.

Warriors, mounting on the steeds or using their legs, fled in all possible haste. While the troops, with their splendour lost and filled with fear, were thus flying away.

Only Drona's son Ashvatthman advanced towards the foes, like a huge alligator swimming against the current. He had recently fought a terrible fight with the hostile division headed by Sikhandin.

As also with with the Prabhadrakas the Panchalas and the Chedis accompanied by the Kekayas. Having slain numerous indomitable troops of the Pandavas.

And with difficulty extricating himself from his perilous situations, that one of the gait of an infuriated elephant, beholding the troops flying away.

Approached Duryodhana; and then that son of Drona said these words to the latter-"Why O Bharata, are the troops flying away, as if in fear?

Why, O king, do you not try to rally them when they are thus flying away? O ruler of men, you also are not in your usual mood.

In consequence of the slaughter of what foremost of warriors of your army have the troops been reduced to this plight? O foremost of the Kurus, tell me all truly.

O king, even these division headed by Karna and others are not staying on the field. In no previsions battle was the arıny thus broken and routed.

0 Bharata, has any great catastrophe, O mighty monarch, overtaken your army? Thereafter Duryodhana hearing the words of Drona's son.

Hesitated to communicate that most terrible and disagreeable intelligence to him. Your son, that foremost of kings, was then sunk deep in the ocean of grief, even like a splintered boat in the sea.

At the sight of Drona's son seated on his chariot, the eyes of the king were flooded with tears. Thereafter, O king, your son suffused with shame, said these words to the son of

“May good betide you. Do you first inform Ashvatthaman of the cause of this flight of our troops. Thereupon o king, Saradvata's son, repeatedly over-whelmed with sorrow, said to Drona's son how Drona had been slain.

Kripa said Ourselves, placing that foremost of carwarriors on earth viz., Drona before us, commenced the battle with the Panchalas only.

During the progress of the battle the Kurus and the Somakas became mingled together and then challenging one another they mangled one another a body with their weapons.

When the battle thus raged and when the Dhartarashtra troops were being reduced in number, your father, filled with rage, invoked into existence a celestial weapon.

Then, O foremost of men, Drona using that Brahma weapon, slow his enemies by hundreds and thousands.

Impelled forward by Fate the Pandavas, the Kaikayas, the Matsyas and the Panchalas, O foremost of the regenerate ones, approaching the vicinity of Drona's car, were slaughtered (indiscriminately).

Then with his Brahma weapon Drona dispatched a thousand foremost heroes and two thousand tusked elephants to the abode of Death.

With his hoary locks flowering down to his ears and of a dark complexion and full eightyfive years of age, Drona then careered on the field with the agility of a boy of sixteen.

Their troops fatigued and their kings slain, the Panchalas although burning with rage, were compelled to turn back.

When the enemy's rank was partly broken and when they were compelled to turn their faces away from the field, that conqueror of foes, exhibiting his celestial weapon, looked beautiful like the rising sun.

Penetrating into the centre of the Pandava rank, the puissant hero, your father, shooting his ray-like shafts, became incapable of being looked at like the sun shining in the centre of the heaven.

Our enemies, then scorched by Drona who then appeared beautiful like the sun, were reduced in their energy, deprived of courage and depressed at heart.

Thereupon the slayer of Madhu ever solicitous of the victory of the Pandavas, beholding the troops afflicted by Drona with his shafts spoke these wordsनैष जातु नरैः शक्यो जेतुं शस्रभृतां वरः।

This leader of the leaders of car-hosts, this foremost of all wielders of bow is incapable of being vanquished in battle even by the slayer of Vritra himself.

Therefore disregarding the rules of fair combat do you strive for the sake of giving victory to the Pandavas, in such a manner that he of the golden car may not slay you all.

I think, he will never fight if he hears that Ashvatthamari has been slain in battle. Let therefore some one tell him this falsehood that Ashvatthaman has been slai in battle.

These words did not sound agreeable to the ear of Kunti's son Dhananjaya. Others again approved of their words. King Yudhishthira accepted them after much hesitation.

Then Bhimasena suffused with blashes of shame said to your father-"Ashvatthaman has been slain." But your father believed him not.

Your father affectionate to his son then doubting the veracity of Bhima's words, questioned very virtuous king Yudhishthira, whether you were really slain or not.

Afraid of tell lies but interested in securing victory, Yudhishthira, then beholding a mighty elephant by name Ashvatthaman slain in battle.

By Bhima an elephant belonging to Indravarman the ruler of the Malavas and that was huge as a hill, approached Drona and

“He for whom you are wielding your weapons and looking on whom you live, that dearly-loved son of yours by Ashvauhman has been slain.

Slain he lies prostrate on the field like a lion-calf in the woods. Cognisant of the evils of falschood that king clearly spoke these words to the foremost of Brahmanas, adding indistinctly the word elephant after them. Hearing that you have been slain and consequently afflicted with great grief.

Withdrawing his celestial weapons he ceased to fight. Beholding him greatly anxious and overpowered with grief.

The son of the Panchala king, that perpetrator of vile deeds, assailed him. name Beholding that prince who had been destined to be the cause of his death, Drona, conversant with the truths about men and things.

Abandoned his celestial weapons and betook to the Praya Joga. Then grasping his hair with his left hand.

The son of Prisata lopped off his head disregarding the expostulating cries of the heroes. From all sides they then said-"He should not be slain, He should not be slain.

Similarly Arjuna also, jumping down from his chariot quickly rushed towards Dhristadyumna, with his arms raised and

"Bring the preceptor alive; conversant with the rules of fair fight, you should not slay aim." Although thus prevented by the Kauravas and Arjuna.

Your father, O foremost of men, suffered death at the hands of that most heartless warrior (Dhristadyumna). It is for this reason that the troops afflicted with fear are flying away. Similarly, O sinless one, depressed upon the overthrow of your sire.

Sanjaya said we are Then Drona's son, hearing that account of the slaughter of his father in battle, became filled with fury like a snake trembled under ; feet.

Then, O sire, filled with wrath Drona's son appeared to burn on the field, like fire that blazes froth furiously having obtained heaps of fuel to feed it.

Squeezing one of his hands with the other and grinding his teeth and breathing like a snake his eyes became coppery (in rage).