जयद्रथ-वध पर्व — अर्जुन का द्रोण की सेना को भेदना

Sanjaya said Having slaughtered the division of Dushasana, the mighty-armed Savysachin desirous of getting at the king of the Sindhus, fell upon Drona's division.

Approaching Drona who was standing in the mouth of his array, Arjuna, with Krishna's permission, folding his palms thus spoke to Drona.

Arjuna said Wish me well, O Brahmana and bless me saying Svasti, through your grace I desire to penetrate through this impenetrable array.

You are to me even as my own father or the very virtuous king Yudhishthira or as Krishna himself. This I tell you in sooth.

0 sire, o sinless one, even Ashvatthaman deserves to be protected by you, so also, O foremost of the regenerate ones, I deserve to be protected by you.

Through your grace, I desire to slay the ruler of the Sindhus in battle, O you foremost as of men. O lord, see that my vow may be fulfiled.

Sanjaya said Thus spoken to, the preceptors then smilingly replied unto Arjuna thus-Vibhatsu you shall not conquer Jayadratha without in the first instance conquering my own self.”

Speaking these words only, Drona with myriads of sharp arrows, covered Arjuna, is chariot, steeds, standards and charioteer, similing all the while.

Thereat Arjuna repulsing the arrowy showers of Drona with those of his own, proceeded against Drona, discharging mightier and more dreadful shafts.

Then, O ruler of men, showing due respect to Drona and observing the duties of the Kshatriya order, Arjuna sped at him nine shafts.

Then cutting those arrows of Arjuna with those of his own, Drona pierced both Krishna and the son of Pandu with shafts that resembled poison of the blazing tongues of fire.

The son of Pandu desired to sever the bow string of Drona with his arrows. Even when the illustrious Phalguna as thus thinking of cutting his bow string.

The undaunted Drona endued with prowess, cut-off with his arrows the formers string; he also pierced his horses, standards and charioteer.

And smilingly did then Drona cover Arjuna himself with many arrows. Meanwhile having strung his mighty bow, Pritha's son.

That foremost of all men versed in the use of weapons getting the better of his preceptor, quickly discharged six hundred arrows; that looked as if he had taken out and shot only a single arrow.

Once more he shot seven hundred other arrows and again a thousand irresistible arrows and ten thousand other arrows. All these dispatched many warriors of Drona's division.

Pierced deep by those shafts shot by the mighty and accomplished Partha versed in all modes of warfare, many men and horses and elephants began to fall down dead.

Afflicted with those arrows, car warriors dropped down from their excellent chariots, deprived of horses and standards and weapons and life.

Like mountain-peaks or masses of clouds or mansions crushed, driven or dismantled by the thunder, the tempest or the fire, elephants began to fall down (being pierced with the shafts of Arjuna).

Thousands of horses began to fall down being struck by the arrows of Arjuna, like so many swans falling upon the Himavat mountain, being driven down by shower of rain.

Like the sun that rises at the end of a Yuga, sucking up with its rays large expanses of water, the son of Pandu, by his showers of weapons and shafts, slew large bodies of carwarriors, horses elephants and foot soldiers.

Then like the clouds covering the sun, the Drona-cloud with its down-pour of arrows, covered the Arjuna-sun whose rays in the form of thick shower of arrows, were burning down the foremost ones among the Kurus, in battle.

Then the preceptor pierced Dhananjaya on the breast with a Naracha discharged with great force and capable of sucking out the life of every foe.

Thereupon the latter trembled in all his limbs like a mountain during an earth quake. But (in a while) regaining his composure, he began to pierce Drona with winged arrows.

Then Drona with five arrows afflicted the son of Vasudeva and he struck Vibhatsu with seventy-three shafts and his standard with three.

Thus, O monarch, the puissant Drona, worsting his disciple within a moment, caused Arjuna to disappear from the view, with his arrowy showers.

We then beheld the arrows shot by Bharadvaja's son fall in unbroken lines and his bow present the wonderful appearance of always being drawn to a circle.

Those numerous arrows furnished with wings of Kanka feather and discharged by Drona in that battle, incessantly fell, O monarch, on Dhananjaya and the son of Vasudeva.

Then beholding that battle between Drona and the son of Pandu, the highly intelligent son of Vasudeva began to think about the accomplishment of the (more important) task (viz., the slaughter of Jayadratha).

Thereafter Vasudeva's son thus spoke addressing Dhananjaya "O Partha O Partha,o mighty-armed one, we should not waste time.

Let us proceed leaving Drona alone the more important task must be accomplished.” Then the son of Pritha replied to Krishna saying-"As it lists you, O Keshava."

Thereupon leaving the mighty-armed Drona to their right they proceeded onwards; turning his face away, Vibhatsu advanced shooting his shafts.

Thereupon Drona addressing Arjuna said "Where are you going, O son of Pandu? Is it not the fact that you never turn back without defeating your adversary?”

Arjuna said You are my preceptor and not my foe; I am your pupil and like your son. Also there exists not the man in the worlds who can vanquish you in battle.

Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, the mighty-armed Vibhatsu, intent on slaying Jayadratha, quickly rushed against the hostile troops.

And when he penetrated into your army, the two illustrious Panchala princes, Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, followed him, protecting his car-wheel.

Thereupon, O mighty monarch, Jaya, Kritavarman of the Satva race and the Kamboja king the Shrutayusha-these put themselves on the way of Dhananjaya.

Ten thousand car-warriors followed these warriors. The Abhishakas, the Shurasenas, the Shibis, the Vasatis.

The Mavellakas, the Lalithyuas, the Kaikeyas, the Madra, the Narayanas, the Gopalas and the Kamboja clans.

Who had before been defeated by Karna and who were regarded as heroes, all these warriors placing the son of Bharadvaja at their head and disregardful of their lives, rushed against Arjuna.

For opposing that wrathful hero burning with sorrow an account of the death of his son, that warrior resembling the all-destroying Death himself, cased in armour, versed in all modes of warfare, prepared to sacrifice his life in the very thick of the fight.

That foremost of men, fierce bowman, endued with prowess, who resembled the infurrite leader of an elephant and who seemed to plunge into the ranks of your troops.

Then the battle that raged between all those warriors on one side and Arjuna on the other, became exceeding fierce and hair-stirring, inasmuch as each desired to meet the other.

Then like medicines checking a raging malady, the Kaurava warriors firmly united together began to check that foremost of men proceeding onwards for the slaughter of Jayadratha.