Sauptika Parva — Ashvatthaman enters Dhristadyumna's camp and attacks him. Dhristadyumna is killed. Drona's son kills the Panchala warriors with Rudra weapon. He next kills the sleeping…

Dhritarashtra said “While Drona's son, that great car-warrior, thus proceeded towards the enemy's camp, did Kripa and Bhoja stop from fear.

I hope those two great car-warriors, stopped by mean guards, did not fly away secretly, considering their opponents irresistible.

Or, have they, after despoiling the camp, the Somakas, and the Pandavas, followed, while still fighting, the highly illustrious path in which Duryodhana has gone.

Are those heroes, killed by the Panchalas, sleeping on the naked Earth? Did they perforin any feat? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya.

Sanjaya said "When the great son of Drona proceeded towards the camp, Kripa and Kritavarman waited at the gate.

Seeing them ready to work Ashvatthaman was overjoyed, and addressing them whisperingly, O king, said,-'If you two exert, you can exterminate all the Kshariyas.

What should I say, therefore, of this remnant of the (Pandava) ariny, particularly when it is asieep.

I shall enter the camp and move about like Yama. I am sure that you two will act in such a way that no man may escape alive.'

Having said so, the son of Drona entered the extensive camp of the Parthas. Shorn of fear, he entered into it by a spot where there was no door.

Having entered the camp the great hero proceeded, guided by sings, very softly towards Dhrishtadyumna's quarters.

Having displayed great feats the Panchalas had been much exhausted in battle. They were sleeping confidently collected together, and by the side of one another.

Entering into Dhrishtadyumna's apartment, OBharata, Drona's son saw the prince of the Panchalas sleeping before him on his bed.

He lay on a beautiful sheet of silk upon a rich and excellent bed. Excellent wreaths of flowers were scattered upon that bed and it was perfumed with the powder of incense.

Having received a kick from Ashvatthaman the high-souled prince who was sleeping trustfully and fearlessly on his bed, awoke.

Feeling that kick, the great prince,! irresistible in battle, got up and recognised Drona's son standing before him.

As he was rising from his bed, the great Ashvatthaman caught him by the hair of his ! head and began to press him down on the Earth with his hands.

Thus pressed by Ashvatthaman with grea! force the prince, from fear as also from sleepiness, was not able to exert his might at that time.

Striking him with his foot, O king, on both his throat and breast while his victim roared, Drona's son tried to kill him as if he were an animal.

The Panchala prince tore Ashvatthaman with his nails and at last slowly said, — 'O preceptor's son, kill me with a weapon, do not delay. O best of men, let me, through you go to the blessed regions.'

Having said this much, that slayer of foes, viz., the son of the Panchala king, assailed by that great hero, became silent.

Hearing those indistinct sounds of his, Drona's son said,-'O wretch of your race, there is no region for those that kill their preceptor. For this, O wicked man, you do not deserve to be killed with any weapon.'

While saying so, Ashvatthaman, worked up with rage, began to strike the vital parts of his victim with his heels, and killed his foe like a lion killing an infuriate elephant.

At the cries of that hero, while he was being slain, his wives and guards that were in his tent all got up, O king.

Seeing some body crushing the prince with superhuman force, they took the assailant for a supernatural being, and, therefore, made no noise from fear.

Having sent him to Yamas abode by such means the greatly energetic, Ashvatthaman went out and getting upon his beautiful car waited there.

Indeed, coming out of Dhrishtadyumna's camp, O king, Ashvatthaman made all the points of the horizon resound with his roars, and then proceeded on his car to other parts of the camp for killing his enemies.

After Drona's son, that great car-warrior, had gone away, the women and all the guards began to bewail.

Secing their king killed, all the wives of Dhrishtady!mna, cried aloud sorrowfully.

Hearing their lamentations many powerful, Kshatriyas, awaking, put on their armour and came there for inquiring after the cause of their lamentations.

Terrified at seeing Ashvatthaman, those ladies in piteous tones asked the man to follow him without delay.

They said, we know not whether he is a Rakshasa or a human being. Having killed the Panchala king he wait there.

Thereat those foremost of warriors suddenly surrounded Drona's son. The latter killed them ail the means of the Rudra weapon.

Having killed Dhrishtadyumna and all those followers of his, he saw Uttamaujas sleeping on his bed.

Attacking him with his foot on the throat and chest, Drona's son killed that great hero also while the latter suffered greatly.

Coming up and taking his comrade for being slain by a Rakshasa, Yudhamanyu speedily struck Drona's son in the chest with a mace.

Rushing towards him, Ashvatthaman seized him and brought him down to the ground and killed him like an animal while the latter cried aloud.

Having killed Yudhamanyu thus, that hero went against the other car-warriors of the king, who were all asleep.

He killed those trembling heroes like animals in a sacrifice. Taking up his sword then, he killed many others.

Proceeding along the various roads of the camp one after another, Ashvatthaman, an expert in the use of the sword, saw various Gulmas and killed no time the unarmed and tied warriors sleeping with them.

With that excellent sword he cut off combatants and horses and elephants. bathed in blood, he appeared like dcah himself commissioned by them.

Making his foes to tremble by the repeated blows of his sword, Ashvatthaman was covered with blood.

Covered as he was with blood, and holding a blazing sword, his form, as he moved about in battle, became exceedingly terrible and superhuman.

Those who got up from sleep, O Kuruhero, became stupefied with the loud noise they heard. Seeing Drona's son, they looked at each other's faces and trembled with fear.

Seeing the form of that crusher of foes, those Kshatriyas took him to be a Rakshasa and shut up their eyes.

Of terrible form, he moved about in the camp like Yama himself, and at last saw the sons of Draupadi and the residue of the Somakas.

Terrified by the noise, and learning that Dhrishtadyumna had been killed those great car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, armed with bows, shot arrows on Drona's son.

Aroused by their noise the Prabhadrakas with Shikhandin at their head, began to strike the son of Drona with their arrows.

Seeing them cast their arrows on him, Drona's son uttered a loud roar and became desirous of killing those great car-warriors.

Remembering the death of his father, Ashvatthaman became furious with rage, getting down from his car, he made a desperate rush against his enemies.

Taking up his bright shield decked with a thousand moons and his massive and celestial sword decked with god, the great Ashvatthaman rushed against the sons of Draupadi.

Then that foremost of men, in that dreadful battle, struck Prativindhya in the abdomen at which the latter, O king, fell down lifeless on the Earth.

Having pierced the son of Drona with a lance, the brave Sutasoma rushed at him with his uplifted sword.

Ashvatthaman, however, cut off Sutasoma's hand holding the sword, and once more struck him on the back. Thereat Sutasoma dropped down dead.

Taking up a car-wheel with his two hands, the brave Shatanika, the son of Nakula, violently struck Ashvatthaman on the breast.

The great Ashvatthaman violently assailed Shatanika after he had discharged that carwheel. Exceedingly agitated, Nakula's son dropped down upon the earth, upon which Drona's son severed his head from his body.

Then taking up a spiked bludgeon, Shrutakarman attacked Ashvatthaman. Furiously rushing at Drona's son, he struck him violently on the left part of his forehead.

Ashvatthaman struck Shrutakarman with his excellent sword on the face. Senseless and his face disfigured, he dropped down dead on the Earth.

At this noist, the heroic Shutakirti that great car-warrior, coming up made a downpour of arrows on Ashvatthaman.

Counteracting those arrowy shower with his shield, Ashvatthaman sundered from his enemy's trunk his beautiful head bedecked with ear-rings.

the destroyer of Bhishma, viz., the great Shikhandin, with all the Prabhadrakas, assailed the hero from every side with various sorts of Weapors. Shikhandin struck Ashvatthaman with an arrow in the midst of his two eyebrows.

Worked up with anger at this, the powerful son of Drona, approached Shikhandin and cut him in two parts with his sword.

Having killed Shikhandin, Ashvatthaman, filled with rage, rushed furiously against the other Prabhadrakas. He proceeded also against the residue of Virata's force.

Gifted with great strength, Drona's son killed the sons, the grandsons, and the followers of Draupada, taking them out one after another.

An expert in the use of the sword, Ashvatthaman then, rushing against other warriors, cut them down with his sword.

The warriors in the Pandava camp saw that embodiment as representing Death-night, of black visage, and having bloody mouth and bloody eyes, wearing crimson garlands and smeared with crimson unguents, clad in a single piece of red cloth, with a noose in hand, and resembling an elderly lady, singing a dreadful song, and standing erect before their eyes, and about to lead away men and horses and elephant all bound in a strong rope.

She appeared to take away various kinds of spirits, with disheveled hair and bound together in a chord, as also, O king, many powerful carwarriors divested of their weapons

On previous days, ( sire the leading warriors, of the Pandava camp used to see in their dreams that figure carrying away the sleeping warriors and Drona's son striking them behind.

The Pandava soldiers dreamt that lady and Drona's son every night from the day when the battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas first began.

Assailed before by Destiny, they were now struck by Drona's son who terrified them all with the dreadful cries.

Assailed by Destiny, and remembering the spectacle they had dreamt, the brave warriors of the Pandavas camp, identified it with what they now saw.

At the noise made, hundreds and thousands of Pandava bowmen in the camp awoke from their sleep.

Ashvatthaman cut of the legs of some, and the hips of others, and cut some in their back, moving about like the Destroyer himself let loose by Time.

The Earth, O lord, was soon strewn with human beings that were disfigured or trampled down by elephants and horses.

Many of them loudly cried-What is this?-Who is this one!-What is this noise?-Who is doing what?-While crying thus Drona's son killed them.

That best of strikers, viz., the son of Drona, sent to the abode of Yama all those Pandus and Srinjayas who were deprived of armour and weapons.

Terrified at that noise many got up from sleep. Stricken with fear, and beside themselves with sleep, those warriors seemed to disappear before the fury of Ashvatthaman.

The thighs of many were paralysed and some were so stupefied that they lost their। energy. Crying and stricken with fear, they : began to kill on another.

Drona's son once more mounted his car, and taking up his bow sent many with his arrows to Yama's abode.

Other brave warriors and foremost of men, that got up from sleep, as they came towards Ashvatthaman, were killed before they could approach him and were thus given as victims to that Death-night.

Crushing many with that best of cars, he moved through the encampment, and enshrouded his foes with repeated showers of arrows.

Again with that beautiful shield of his, bedecked with a hundred moons, and with that sky-colored sword of his, he moved about amidst his enemics.

Like an elephant agitating a large lake, Drona's son who cannot be checked in battle, agitated the camp of the Pandavas.

Awaked by the noise, O king, many warriors, still possessed by sleep and fear ran hither and thither.

Many cried and many uttered unmeaning jargon. Many could not secure their weapons and armour.

The hairs of many were disheveled, and many could not recognise one another. Having got up from sleep, many fell down, fatigued; some walked purposely here and there.

Breaking their chords, elephants and horses passed excreta and urine.

Many huddled together, set up a great confusion, some stricken with fear, prostrated themselves on the Earth. The animals of the camp crushed them there.

While the camp was in this state of confusion, Rakshasas, O king, cried aloud in joy, O Bharata-chief.

That loud noise, O king, of the ghostly beings, filled all the points of the horizon and the sky.

Hearing the piteous cried of elephants, horses, breaking their chords, rushed hither and thither, crushing the warriors in the camp.

As those animals rushed here and there, the dust raised by them made the night doubly dark.

When that thick darkness set in, the warriors in the camp became perfectly bewildered; fathers recognised not their sons, brothers recognised not their brothers.

Elephants, striking riderless elephants, and horses, striking riderless horses, assailed and broke and crushed the people that stood in their way.

Confused combatants rushed and killed one another, and felling those that stood in their way crushed them into pieces.

Senseless and overcome with sleep, and covered with darkness, men, urged on by fate, killed their own comrades.

The guards, living the gates in their charge, and those at duty at the outposts leaving their posts, fled away for their lives, senseless, and not knowing where they proceeded.

They killed one another, the slayers, O lord, not recognising the killed. Assailed by fate, they cried after their fathers and sons.

While they fled, leaving behind their friends and relatives, they called upon one another, mentioning their families and names.

Uttering cries of lamentation others dropped down on the Earth. In the thick of the battle Drona's son, recognising them, killed them all.

While being killed, other Kshatriyas lost their senses, and, stricken with fear, tried to fly away from the camps.

Those men that tried to fly away from the camp for saving their lives wee killed by Kritavarman and Kripa at the gate.

Having no weapons, instruments and armour, and with disheveled hair, they clasped their hands. Trembling with fear, they stood on the ground, The two Kuru-warriors. however, (who were on their cars) gave none an opportunity.

None amongst those that escaped from the camp was allowed to go by those two wicked persons, viz., Kripa and Kritavarman.

Then again for pleasing Drona's son, those two set fire to the Pandava camp in three places.

When the camp was lighted, Ashvatthaman, O king, moved about sword in hand, and crushing his foes with great skill.

Some of his brave enemies rushed furiously towards him and some ran here and there. That foremost of men, with his sword, deprived all of them of their lives.

Filled with rage the brave son of Drona, struck down some of the warriors, cutting them in two with his sword like sesame stalks.

The Earth, O Chief of Bharata was covered with the bodies of foremost of men, and horses and elephants huddled together and bewailing.

When thousands of men had fallen down lifeless, numberless headless trunks stood up and fell down.

Ashvatthaman, O Bharata, cut off arms, adorned with armlets and holding weapons, and heads, and things resembling trunks of elephants, and hands, and feet.

The great son of Drona wounded the backs of some, cut off the heads of some, and caused some to retreat from the fight.

He cut off some at the middle, and cut off the ears of others, and struck others on the shoulders, and pressed down the heads of some into their trunks.

As Ashvatthaman moved about in this way killing thousands of men, the deep night became more dreadful for the darkness that set in.

The Earth became terrible to look at, covered with thousands of human beings, dead and dying, and numberless horses and elephants.

Severed by the angry son of Drona, his enemies dropped down on the Earth that was then covered with Yakshas and Rakshasas and rendered frightful with (broken) cars and killed horses and elephants.

Some called upon their brothers, and some upon their fathers and some upon their sons. And some said'The son of Dhritarastra in anger could never perform such acts in battle as these which wicked Rakshasas have done during the hour of our sleep! It is only for the absence of the Parthas that this great destruction is going on!

That son of Kunti who and Janarddana for his protector, is incapable of being defeated even by celestials. Asuras, Gandharvas. Yakshas, and Rakshasas.

Devoted to Brahma, truthful in speech, selfcontrolled, and kind to all creatures, that son of Pritha, called Dhananjaya never killed one who is asieep, or one who is careless, or one who has thrown off his weapons, or one who joins his hands for protection, or one who is retreating, or one whose hairs have been disheveled.

Alas, they are wicked Rakshasas, who are perpetrating such terrible acts upon ourselves!'-Saying so, many laid themselves down.

The loud sound caused by the cries and groans of men stopped within a short time.

The earth being drenched with blood, O king, that thick and dreadful dust soon disappeared.

Thousands of men who were writhing in agnoy, stricken with anxiety, and filled with despair were killed by Ashvatthaman like Rudra killing living animals.

Many who laid themselves down on the ground clasping one another, and many who tried to fly away, and many who tried to hide themselves, and many who fought, were all killed by the son of Drona.

Burnt by fire and killed by Ashvatthaman, the men, beside themselves, killed one another.

Before half the night was over, the son of Drona, O king, killed the large army of the Pandavas.

That night, so terrible and destructive of men and elephants and horses filled with joy all creatures and range in darkness.

Many Rakshasas and Pishachas were secn there, eating human flesh and drinking the blood.

They dreadful, twany-colored, terrible, of adamantine teeth, and covered with blood. With matted locks on their heads, their thighs were long and massive; they had five fect, their stomachs were huge. were

Their fingers were set backwards. They had harsh temper and ugly features, and their voice was loud and terrible. They had rows of tinkling bells tied to their persons. They had blue throats, they looked very frightful.

High cruel and incapable of being looked at without fear, and hating nothing, they came there with their children and wives. Rakshasas of various forms that came there.

Drinking the blood that flowed in streams, they were filled with joy and began to dance in separate parties. This is excellent!-This is pure! This is very sweet!'-these were the words they gave expression to.

Having lived upon fat, marrow, bones and blood, other carnivorous creatures, began toe act the delicate parts of corpses. Others, drinking the fat that ran in streams, ran about naked over the field. Tens of thousands and millions of other carnivorous beings having different faces of great ferocity, and living upon dead flesh, came there. Grim and gigantic Rakshasas came there in numerous bands. Other ghostly creatures overjoyed with eating enough also came there in that dreadful carnage.

When morning came, Ashvatthaman wanted to leave the camp. He was then covered with human blood, and he held of sword so firmly that his hand and sword, O Fing, becaine one.

Having walked in the path of wicked warriors, Ashvatthaman, after that destruction, looked like the blazing fire at the end of the cycle, reducing all creatures to ashes.

Having perpetrated that massacre according to his promise, and having trodden that untrodden way, Drona's son, O king, forgot his sorrow for the death of his father.

The Pandavas camp, was perfectly calm when Drona's son had entered it in the night, because all the inmates were asleep. After the slaughter of the night, when all became once more quit, Ashvatthaman came out from it.

Having come out of thc encampinent, the brave Ashvatthaman met his two companions and, filled with joy, communicated to them his achievement gladdening them, O king, by the news.

Those two, in return, who always sought his good, gave him the pleasant news of how they also had killed thousands of Panchalas and Srinjayas at the gates.

Thus did that night bring on the destruction of the Somakas who were carelessly sunk in sleep.

The course of time, forsooth, is irresistible. Those who had rooted us out were themselves exterminated now."

Dhritarashtra said “Why is it that great car-warriors, viz., the son of Drona, did not perform such an act before, although he had tried his best for conferring victory upon Duryodhana?

Why did that bowmen do this after the death of the wretched Duryodhana? You should tell me all this!"

Sanjaya said "Through fear of the Parthas, O descendant of Kuru, Ashvatthaman could not perform such a fear then! It was for the absence of the Partha and the intelligent Keshava as also of Satyaki, that Drona's son could achieve it.

Who is there, not even excluding the lord Indra, that can kill them before these heroes? Besides, O king Ashvatthaman could achieve this only because the men were all asleep.

Having caused that great destruction of the Pandava forces, those three great car-warriors, viz., Ashvatthaman and Kripa and Kritavarman, meeting together, said, — 'Good luck,'—His two companions congratulated Ashvatthaman, and embraced him. Joyfully the latter said:-'All the Panchalas, as also all the sons of Draupadi, have been killed. All the Somakas and that remnant of the Matsyas, have been killed by me.

Crowned with success, let up soon go there where the king is! If the king be still alive, we will communicate to him this joyful news.'