Dronabhisheka Parva — The audition of the account of Drona's death

Sanjaya said Seeing Drona thus destroy their horses, drivers, cars and elephants the Pandavas were greatly afflicted and could not check his career.

Thereupon king Yudhishthira said Dhrishtadyumna and Dhananjaya, "Check the carrier of the pot-born Drona by surrounding him with great heed.

to Thereupon the mighty car-warriors namely Arjuna and the son of Prishata together with their followers, encompassed Drona, as he was rushing at them.

The Kekayas, Bhimasena, the son of Subhadra, Ghatotkacha, Yudhishthira the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, the king of the Matsyas the son of Drupada and the five son of Draupadi greatly delighted and Dhristaketu along with Satyaki, the wrathful Chekitana, the Yuyutsu the mighty car-warrior and, O monarch, all the other rulers of earth who followed the Pandavas in battle, achieved many feats (of valour), in accordance with their prowess and nobility of birth.

Seeing the Pandavas protect their army in battle, the son of Bharadvaja, rolling his eyes in anger, cast his glances (on the army).

Working himself up with ire, that one (Drona), indomitable in war, seated on his chariot, blew the Pandava host off like the storm blowing thick clouds off.

Charging cars, steed, men and elephants on all sides, Drona roamed in the field like one insane and though grown up in years, he resembled one endued with the energy of youth.

O monarch, his horses, of chestnut colour, of excellent breed, of wind-like speed, and of indefatigable energy, assumed a beautiful appearance being bespattered with blood.

Beholding that one of regulated vows rush at them like the god of Death enraged, all the warriors of the Pandavas sped on all directions.

As some fled and some rallied and some looked at Drona, and some stood on the field, the noise (of the confusion) they caused was dreadful and deafening.

That noise that imparted delight to the heroes and enhanced the terrors of the cowards, filled the whole interval between the earth and the skies.

And again did Drona, shouting forth his own name, made himself terrible in battle by piercing his enemies with hundreds of arrows.

O sire, then the mighty Drona careered fiercely amid the army of the sons of Pandu, like the god of Death himself; and he appeared like one young, though bearing the weight of years.

Severing down many heads as well as arms decorated with ornaments and rendering the seats of many a car empty, he sent up terrific roars.

In consequence of his rapturous roars and of the fleetness of his arrows, O master, the warriors began to shake in battle, like kine shivering with cold.

A terrible sound caused by the rattle of Drona's chariot, by the contraction and stretching of his bow-string and by the twang of his bow, filled the conclave dome.

Thousands of arrows not shot from his bow fell, covering cardinal points, upon the elephants, steeds, chariots and foot-soldiers (of the hostile array).

Then the Pandavas along with the Panchalas, rushed at Drona wielding a bow of great strength and resembling a blazing fire in consequence of his weapons.

Then he began to dispatch them with their elephants, steeds and foot-soldiers to the regions of Death; and within a short while Drona made the earth muddy with blood.

A net-work of arrows, woven by Drona who had been scattering celestial weapons and shooting shafts on all sides, was seen to over shroud the cardinal points.

Like flashes of lightning amid dense masses of clouds, his standard could be seen whirling amongst foot-soldiers, chariots, horses and carwarriors.

Afflicting with arrows the five foremost among the Kekayas and the king of the Panchadas,' Drona, of irrepressible vigour, armed with a bow and arrows, charged the division commanded by Yudhishthira.

Thereupon, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya and the grandson of sini and the sons of Drupada and the son of Saibya, the ruler of the Kasis and Sibi himself, greatly delighted and sending up loud shouts, covered Drona with a stream of shafts.

Then numerous arrows shot from the bow of Drona and adorned with golden wings, piercing through the bodies of elephants and young steeds, stuck themselves on the ground, with feathers crimson with blood.

Then the field of battle, being covered over with fallen bands of warriors, (shattered) chariots and carcasses of elephants and horses mangled with arrows, appeared like the firmament overhung with dense masses of black clouds.

Then Drona desirous of the prosperity of your sons, having in battle trampled down the divisions led by the grandson of Sini, Bhima and Arjuna and having crushed the son of Subhadra and the king of the Panchalas and the ruler of the Kasis and many other warriors.

And having achieved these and other wondrous feats in battle, O foremost among the Kurus, that high-souled one, Drona, left this world for heaven, after having consumed this earth like the sun that rises at the time of the world's annihilations, O monarch.

Having achieved these great feats of valour, that chastiser of hostile armies, that possessor of a golden car, that hero, who had killed in battle hundreds of thousands of the soldiers of the Pandavas, was himself slain by the son of Prishata. Having slain more than Akshauhini of unreturning heroes, that Drona of (unrivaled) intelligence, at last attained to the highest state of existence. O monarch, having achieved these most difficult feats, that one of a golden car was slain by the Pandavas and the Panchalas of inauspicious and heartless of deeds. When the preceptor was slain in battle, o king, a loud roar of all creatures as two also of the warriors filled the sky. The loud cry of 'O fie' uttered by creatures arose in the welkin resounding through the earth, the heavens and the interval between them and the cardinal and the subsidiary quarters. Then all the celestials and the Pitris and the friend of the mighty car-warrior Bharadvaja (Drona), saw him slain in battle. The son of Pandu having obtained victory gave forth roars resembling those of a lion; and the (foundation of) the carth shook with those loud leonine roars of theirs.