Chapter 153

“Sanjaya said, ‘After his son (Bhurisravas) had been slain by Satyakiwhile the former was sitting in Praya, Somadatta, filled with rage, saidunto Satyaki these words, ‘Why, O Satwata, ‘having abandoned thoseKshatriya duties ordained by the high-souled gods, hast thou betakenthyself to the practices of robbers? Why would one that is observant ofKshatriya duties and possessed of wisdom, strike in battle a person thatis turning away from the fight, or one that has become helpless, or onethat has laid aside his weapons, or one that beggeth for quarters? Twopersons, indeed, among the Vrishnis are reputed to be the foremost ofgreat car-warriors, viz., Pradyumna of mighty energy and thou also, OSatyaki! Why then didst thou behave so cruelly and sinfully towards onethat had sat on Praya and that had his arms cut off by Partha?[196] Takenow in battle the consequence of that act of thine, O thou of wickedbehaviour! I shall today, O wretch, putting forth my prowess, cut offthy. head with a winged arrow. I swear, O Satwata, by my two sons, bywhat is dear to me, and by all my meritorious acts, that, if before thisnight passes away, I do not slay thee, that art so proud of thy heroism,with thy sons and younger brothers, provided Jishnu, the son of Pritha,does not protect thee, then let me sink into terrible hell, O wretch ofVrishni’s race!’ Having said these words, the mighty Somadatta, filledwith rage, blew his conch loudly and uttered a leonine roar. ThenSatyaki, of eyes like lotus-petals and teeth like those of a lion,possessed of great strength, and filled with rage, said these words untoSomadatta, ‘O thou of Kuru’s race, whether battling with thee or withothers, I do not in my heart ever experience the slightest fear. If,protected by all the troops, thou fightest with me, I would not, eventhen experience on thy account, any pain, O thou of Kuru’s race! I amever observant of Kshatriya practices. Thou canst not, therefore,frighten me with only words smacking of battle or with speeches thatinsult the good. If, O king, thou wishest to fight with me today, becruel and strike me with keen shafts and I will also strike thee. Thyson, the mighty car-warrior Bhurisravas, O king, had been slain. Salaalso, and Vrishasena, have been crushed by me. Thee also today I shallslay, with thy soils and kinsmen. Stay with resolution in battle, forthou, O Katirava, art endued with great strength. Thou art already slainin consequence of the energy of that drum-bannered king Yudhishthira inwhom are always charity, and self-restraint, and purity of heart,compassion, and modesty, and intelligence, and forgiveness, and all elsethat is indestructible. Thou shalt meet with destruction along with Karnaand Suvala’s son. I swear by Krishna’s feet and by all my good acts that,filled with rage, I shall, with my shafts, slay thee with thy sons inbattle. If thou fliest away from battle, then mayst thou have safety.’Having thus addressed each other, with eyes red in wrath, those foremostof men began to shoot their shafts at each other. Then with a thousandcars and ten thousand horses, Duryodhana took his station, encompassingSomadatta, Sakuni also, filled with rage, and armed with every weapon andsurrounded by his sons and grandsons as also by his brothers, that wereequal to Indra himself in prowess (did the same). Thy brother-in-law, Oking, young in years and of body hard as the thunder-bolt and possessedof wisdom, had a hundred thousand horses of the foremost valour with him.With these he encompassed the mighty bowman Somadatta. Protected by thosemighty warriors, Somadatta covered Satyaki (with clouds of shafts).Beholding Satyaki thus covered with clouds of straight shafts,Dhrishtadyumna proceeded towards him in rage and accompanied by a mightyforce. Then, O king, the sound that arose there of those two large hostsstriking each other, resembled that of many oceans lashed into fury byfrightful hurricanes. Then Somadatta pierced Satyaki, with nine arrows.Satyaki, in return, struck that foremost of Kuru warriors with ninearrows. Deeply pierced in that battle by the mighty and firm bowman(Satyaki), Somadatta sat down on the terrace of his car and lost hissenses in a swoon, Beholding him deprived of his senses, his driver, withgreat speed, bore away from the battle that great car-warrior, viz., theheroic Somadatta. Seeing that Somadatta, afflicted with Yuyudhana’sshafts, had lost his senses Drona rushed with speed, desiring to slay theYadu hero. Beholding the Preceptor advance, many Pandava warriors headedby Yudhishthira surrounded that illustrious perpetuator of Yadu’s racefrom desire of rescuing him. Then commenced a battle between Drona andthe Pandavas, resembling that between Vali and the celestials foracquiring sovereignty oft the three worlds. Then Bharadwaja’s son ofgreat energy shrouded the Pandava host with clouds of arrows and piercedYudhishthira also. And Drona pierced Satyaki with ten arrows, and the sonof Prishata with twenty. And he pierced Bhimasena with nine arrows andNakula with five, and Sahadeva with eight, and Sikhandin with a hundred.And the mighty-armed hero pierced each of the (five) sons of Draupadiwith five arrows. And he pierced Virata with eight arrows and Drupadawith ten. And he pierced Yudhamanyu with three arrows and Uttamaujas withsix in that encounter. And piercing many other combatants, he rushedtowards Yudhishthira. The troops of Pandu’s son, slaughtered by Drona,ran away in all directions, from fear, O king, with loud wails. Beholdingthat host slaughtered by Drona. Phalguna, the son of Pritha, with wrathexcited a little, quickly proceeded towards the preceptor. Beholding thenthat Drona was also proceeding towards Arjuna in that battle, that hostof Yudhishthira, O king, once more rallied. Then once more occurred abattle between Drona and the Pandavas. Drona, surrounded, O king, on allsides, by thy sons, began to consume the Pandava host, like fireconsuming a heap of cotton. Beholding him radiant like the sun and enduedwith the splendour of a blazing fire, and fiercely and continually, Oking, emitting his ray-like arrows, with bow incessantly drawn to acircle and scorching everything around like the sun himself, andconsuming his foes, there was none in that army that could check him. Theshafts of Drona cutting off the head of all those that ventured toapproach him in the face, penetrated into the earth. Thus slaughtered bythat illustrious warrior, the Pandava host, once more fled away in fearin the very sight of Arjuna. Beholding that force, O Bharata, thus routedon that night by Drona, Jishnu asked Govinda to proceed towards Drona’scar. Then he of Dasarha’s race urged those steeds, white as silver ormilk or the Kunda flower, or the moon, towards the car of Drona.Bhimasena also, beholding Phalguna proceed towards Drona, commanded hisown charioteer, saying, ‘Bear me towards Drona’s division.’ Hearing thosewords of Bhima, his driver Visoka urged his steeds, following in thewake, O chief of the Bharatas, of Jishnu, of sure aim. Beholding the twobrothers resolutely proceeding towards Drona’s division, the mightycar-warriors among the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis,the Karushas, the Kosalas, and the Kaikeyas, O king, all followed them.Then, O monarch, took place a terrible battle that made the hair stand onend. With two mighty throngs of cars, Vibhatsu and Vrikodara attacked thyhost; the former on the right and the latter in the front. Seeing thosetigers among men, viz., Bhimasena and Dhananjaya (thus engaged),Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, and Satyaki of great strength, rushed behind.Then, O king, an uproar arose there in consequence of the two hostsstriking each other, that resembled the noise made by many seas lashedinto fury by a tempest. Beholding Satyaki in battle, Aswatthaman, filledwith rage at the slaughter of Somadatta’s son, rushed furiously againstthat Satwata hero at the van of battle. Seeing him rush in that battleagainst the car of Sini’s grandson, Bhimasena’s son, the giganticRakshasa, Ghatotkacha, endued with great strength, rushed at him, ridingon a huge and terrible car made of black iron covered with bear-skins.Both the height and the width of that large car measured thirtynalwas.[197] Equipped with machines set in proper places it was; itsrattle resembled that of a mighty mass of clouds. No steeds or elephantswere yoked unto it, but, instead, beings that looked like elephants.[198]On its tall standard perched a prince of vultures with outstretched wingsand feet, with eyes wide-expanded, and shrieking awfully. And it wasequipped with red flags and decked with the entrails of various animals.And that huge vehicle was furnished with eight wheels. Riding on it,Ghatotkacha was surrounded by a full Akshauhini of fierce-lookingRakshasas armed with lances and heavy clubs and rocks and trees. Seeinghim advance with uplifted bow, resembling the mace-armed Destroyerhimself in the hour of universal dissolution, the hostile kings werestruck with fear. At sight of that prince of Rakshasas, viz.,Ghatotkacha, looking like a mountain summit of terrible aspect,frightful, possessed of terrible teeth and fierce face, with arrow-likeears and high cheek-bones, with stiff hair rising upwards, awful eyes,sunken belly, blazing mouth, wide as a chasm, and diadem on his head,capable of striking every creature with fear, possessing jaws wide-openlike those of the Destroyer, endued with great splendour and capable ofagitating all foes, advancing towards them, thy son’s host, afflictedwith fear, became highly agitated like the current of the Ganga agitatedinto fierce eddies by (the action of) the wind. Terrified by the leonineroar uttered by Ghatotkacha, elephants began to eject urine and the kingsbegan to tremble. Then, thrown by the Rakshasas who had become morepowerful in consequence of the night, there began to fall on the field ofbattle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless shower of iron wheelsand Bhundis and darts and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes alsofell there. Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings, thy sons,and Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled away. Only the proud son ofDrona, ever boastful of his might in arms, stood fearlessly. And he soondispelled that illusion that had been created by Ghatotkacha. Upon thedestruction of his illusion, Ghatotkacha in rage sped fierce shafts(Aswatthaman). These pierced the son of Drona, like angry snakes speedilypiercing through an ant-hill. Those arrows, having pierced through thebody of Aswatthaman, dyed with blood and quickly entered the earth likesnakes into an ant-hill. The light-handed Aswatthaman, however, of greatprowess, filled with wrath, pierced Ghatotkacha with ten arrows.Ghatotkacha, deeply pierced in his vital parts by Drona’s son, andfeeling great pain, took up a wheel having a thousand spokes. Its edgewas sharp as a razor, and it was resplendent as the rising sun. And itwas decked with diverse gems and diamonds. Desirous of slaying him, theson of Bhimasena hurled that wheel at Aswatthaman. And as that wheelcoursed swiftly towards Drona’s son, the latter cut it into fragments bymeans of his shafts. Baffled, it fell down on the earth, like the hopecherished by an unfortunate man. Beholding his wheel baffled, Ghatotkachaquickly covered the son of Drona with his shafts, like Rahu swallowingthe sun. Meanwhile, Ghatotkacha’s son endued with great splendour andlooking like a mass of antimony, checked the advancing son of Drona likethe king of mountain (Meru) checking the (course of the) wind. Afflictedwith showers of shafts by Bhimasena’s grandson, viz., the braveAnjanaparvan, Aswatthaman looked like the mountain Meru bearing a torrentof rain from a mighty cloud. Then Aswatthaman, equal unto Rudra orUpendra in prowess, became filled with rage. With one shaft he cut offthe standard of Anjanaparvan. With two others, his two drivers, and withthree others, his Trivenuka. And he cut off the Rakshasa’s bow with onearrow, and his four steeds with four other arrows, Made carless,Anjanaparvan took up a scimitar. With another keen shaft, Aswatthaman cutoff in two fragments that scimitar, decked with golden stars, in theRakshasa’s hand. The grandson of Hidimva then, O king, whirling a goldadorned mace, quickly hurled it at Aswatthaman. Drona’s son, however,striking it with his shafts, caused it to fall down on the earth. Soaringup then into the sky, Anjanaparvan began to roar like a cloud. And fromthe welkin he showered trees upon his foe. Like the sun piercing a massof clouds with his rays, Aswatthaman then began to pierce with his shaftsthe son of Ghatotkacha, that receptacle of illusions, in the welkin.Gifted with great energy, the Rakshasa once more came down on his golddecked car. He then looked like a high and beautiful hill of antimony onthe surface of the earth. The son of Drona then slew that son of Bhima’sson, viz., Anjanaparvan, cased in an iron coat of mail, even as Mahadevahad slain in days of yore the Asura Andhaka. Beholding his mighty sonslain by Aswatthaman, Ghatotkacha, coming unto the son of Drona,fearlessly addressed the heroic son of Saradwata’s daughter, who was thenconsuming the Pandava troops like a raging forest-conflagration, in thesewords:

“Ghatotkacha said, ‘Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not escape mewith life! I shall slay thee today like Agni’s son slaying Krauncha.’

“Aswatthaman said, ‘Go, O son, and fight with others, O thou that hastthe prowess of a celestial. It is not proper, O son of Hidimva, that sireshould battle with son.[199] I do not cherish any grudge against thee, Oson of Hidimva! When, however, one’s ire is excited, one may kill one’sown self.’

“Sanjaya continued, ‘Having heard these words, Ghatotkacha, filled withgrief on account of the fall of his son, and with eyes red as copper inwrath, approached Aswatthaman and said, ‘Am I a dastard in battle, O sonof Drona, like a vulgar person, that thou dost frighten me thus withwords? Thy words are improper. Verily, I have been begotten by Bhima inthe celebrated race of the Kurus. I am a son of the Pandavas, thoseheroes that never retreat from battle. I am the king of the Rakshasas,equal to the Ten-necked (Ravana) in might. Wait, wait, O son of Drona!Thou shalt not escape me with life. I shall today, on the field ofbattle, dispel thy desire for fight.’ Having thus replied untoAswatthaman, that mighty Rakshasa with eyes red as copper in rage, rushedfuriously against the son of Drona, like a lion against a prince ofelephants. And Ghatotkacha began to shower upon that bull amongcar-warriors, viz., Drona’s son, shafts of the measure of Aksha of battlecar, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Drona’s son however, with hisown shafts, checked that arrowy shower before it could reach him. At thattime, it seemed that another encounter was taking place in the welkinbetween shafts (as the combatants). The welkin, then, during the night,shone resplendent with the sparks caused by the clash of those weapons,as if with (myriads of) flies. Observing that his illusion was dispelledby Drona’s son, proud of his prowess in battle, Ghatotkacha, once moremaking himself invisible, created an illusion. He assumed the form of ahigh mountain, crowded with cliffs and trees, and possessing fountainsfrom which ceaselessly flowed spears and lances and swords and heavyclubs. Beholding that mountain-like mass of antimony, with countlessweapons falling from it, Drona’s son was not at all moved. The latterinvoked into existence the Vajra weapon.[200] The prince of mountains,then, struck with that weapon, was quickly destroyed. Then the Rakshasa,becoming a mass of blue clouds in the firmament, decked with rainbow,began furiously to shower upon Drona’s son in that battle a downpour ofstones and rocks. Then that foremost of all persons acquainted withweapons, viz., Aswatthaman, aiming the Vayavya weapon, destroyed thatblue cloud which had risen on the firmament. Drona’s son, that foremostof men, covering then all the points of the compass with his shafts, slewa hundred thousand car-warriors. He then beheld Ghatotkacha fearlesslycoming towards him with bent bow and accompanied by a large number ofRakshasas that resembled lions or infuriated elephants of great strength,some riding on elephants, some on cars, and some on steeds. The son ofHidimva was accompanied by those fierce followers of his, with frightfulfaces and heads and necks. Those Rakshasas consisted of both Paulastyasand Yatudhanas.[201] Their prowess was equal to that of Indra himself.They were armed with diverse kinds of weapons and were cased in diversekinds of armour. Of terrible visage, they swelled with rage. Ghatotkachacame to battle, accompanied by those Rakshasas, who were, indeed,incapable of being easily defeated in battle. Beholding them, thy son,Duryodhana, became exceedingly cheerless. Unto him the son of Drona said,’Wait, O Duryodhana! Thou needst have no fear. Stand aside with these thyheroic brothers and these lords of earth, endued with the prowess ofIndra. I will slay thy foes. Defeat thou shalt not have. I tell theetruly. Meanwhile, assure thy troops.’

“Duryodhana said, ‘I do not regard what thou sayest to be at allwonderful, since thy heart is large. O son of Gautama’s daughter, thyregard for us is great.’

“Sanjaya continued, Having said those words unto Aswatthaman, he thenaddressed the son of Suvala, saying, ‘Dhananjaya is engaged in battlesurrounded by a hundred thousand car-warriors of great valour. Go thouagainst him, with sixty thousand cars. Karna also, and Vrishasena andKripa, and Nila, and the Northerners, and Kritavarman, and the sons ofPurumitra, and Duhsasana, and Nikumbha, and Kundabhedin, and Puranjayaand Dridharatha, and Hemakampana, and Salya, and Aruni, and Indrasena,and Sanjaya, and Vijaya, and Jaya, and Purakrathin, and Jayavarman, andSudarsana, these will follow thee, with sixty thousand foot-soldiers. Ouncle, slay Bhima and the twins and king Yudhishthira the Just, like thechief of the celestials slaying the Asuras. My hope of victory is inthee. Already pierced by Drona’s son with shafts, all their limbs havebeen exceedingly mangled. Slay the sons of Kunti, O uncle, like Kartikeyaslaying the Asuras.’ Thus addressed by thy son, Sakuni proceeded quicklyto destroy the Pandavas, filling thy son’s heart, O king, with delight.

“Meanwhile, O king, the battle that took place between the Rakshasas andthe son of Drona on that night was exceedingly terrible like that betweenSakra and Prahlada (in days of old). Ghatotkacha, filled with rage,struck Drona’s son in the chest with ten powerful shafts fierce as poisonor fire. Deeply pierced with those shafts by the son of Bhimasena,Aswatthaman trembled on the terrace of his car like a tall tree shaken bythe tempest. Once more Ghatotkacha, with a broad-headed shaft, quicklycut off the bright bow that was in the hands of Drona’s son. The latter,then, taking up another bow capable of bearing of great strain, showeredkeen arrows (upon his foe) like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Thenthe son of Saradwat’s daughter, O Bharata, sped many sky-ranging andfoe-slaying arrows, winged with gold, towards the sky-ranging Rakshasa.Afflicted with those shafts of Aswatthaman, that vast force ofbroad-chested Rakshasas looked like a herd of infuriated elephantsafflicted by lions. Consuming with his arrows those Rakshasas with theirsteeds, drivers, and elephants, he blazed forth like the adorable Agniwhile consuming creatures at the end of the Yuga. Having burnt with hisshafts a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops, Aswatthaman shoneresplendent like the divine Maheswara in heaven after the burning of thetriple city.[202] That foremost of victors, viz., Drona’s son, havingburnt thy foes, shone brilliantly like the blazing Yuga-fire after havingburnt all creatures at the end of the Yuga. Then Ghatotkacha, filled withrage, urged that vast Rakshasa force on, saying, ‘Slay the son of Drona!’That command of Ghatotkacha was obeyed by those terrible Rakshasa ofbright teeth, large faces, frightful aspects, gaping mouths, long tonguesand eyes blazing with wrath. Causing the earth to be filled with theirloud leonine roars, and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, they rushedagainst the son of Drona for slaying him. Endued with fierce prowess,those Rakshasas, with eyes red in wrath, fearlessly hurled atAswatthaman’s head hundreds and thousands of darts, and Sataghnis, andspiked maces, and Asanis and long lances, and axes, and scimitars, andmaces, and short arrows and heavy clubs, and battle-axes, and spears, andswords, and lances, and polished Kampanas and Kunapas, and Hulas, androckets, and stones, and vessels of (hot) treacle, and thunas made ofblack iron, and mallets, all of terrible forms and capable of destroyingfoes. Beholding that thick shower of weapons falling upon the head ofDrona’s son, thy warriors were much pained. The son of Drona, however,fearlessly destroyed with his whetted shafts endued with the force of thethunder that frightful shower of weapons looking like a risen cloud. Thenthe high-souled son of Drona, with other weapons, equipped with goldenwings and inspired with mantras speedily slew many Rakshasas. Afflictedwith those shafts, that vast force of broad-chested Rakshasas looked likea herd of infuriated elephants afflicted by lions. Then those mightyRakshasas, thus afflicted Drona’s son, became filled with fury and rushedagainst the former. The prowess that the son of Drona then showed wasexceedingly wonderful, for the feat he achieved is incapable of beingachieved by any other being among living creatures, since, alone andunsupported, that warrior acquainted with high and mighty weapons burntthat Rakshasa force with his blazing shafts in the very sight of thatprince of Rakshasas. Whilst consuming that Rakshasa force, Drona’s son inthat battle shone resplendent like the Samvartaka fire, while burning allcreatures at the end of the Yuga. Indeed, amongst those thousands ofkings and those Pandavas, O Bharata, there was none, except that mightyprince of the Rakshasa, viz., the heroic Ghatotkacha, capable of evenlooking at the son of Drona in that battle, who was thus employed inconsuming their ranks with his shafts, resembling snakes of virulentpoison. The Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, with eyes rolling inwrath, striking his palms, and biting his (nether) lip, addressed his owndriver, saying, ‘Bear me towards the son of Drona.’ Riding on thatformidable car equipped with triumphal banners, that slayer of foes oncemore proceeded against Drona’s son, desirous of a single combat with thelatter. Endued with terrible prowess, the Rakshasa, uttering a loudleonine roar, hurled in that encounter at Drona’s son, having whirled it(previously), a terrible Asani of celestial workmanship, and equippedwith eight bells.[203] Drona’s son, however, jumping down from his car,having left his bow thereon, seized it and hurled it back at Ghatotkachahimself. Ghatotkacha, meanwhile, had quickly alighted from his car. Thatformidable Asani, of dazzling effulgence, having reduced to ashes theRakshasa’s vehicle with steeds and drivers and standard, entered theearth, having pierced her through. Beholding that feat of Drona’s son,viz., his having jumped down and seized that terrible Asani of celestialworkmanship, all creatures applauded it. Proceeding then, O king, toDhrishtadyumna’s car, Bhimasena’s son, taking up a terrible bow thatresembled the large bow of Indra himself, once more shot many keen shaftsat the illustrious son of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna also fearlessly shot atAswatthaman’s chest many foremost of shafts, equipped with wings of goldand resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then Drona’s son shot arrowsand long shafts by thousands. These two heroes, however, viz.,Ghatotkacha and Dhrishtadyumna, struck and baffled Aswatthaman’s shaftsby means of their own shafts whose touch resembled that of fire. Thebattle then that took place between those two lions among men(Ghatotkacha on the one side) and the son of Drona (on the other) becamefierce in the extreme and gladdened all the combatants, O bull ofBharata’s race! Then, accompanied by a thousand cars, three hundredelephants, and six thousand horses, Bhimasena arrived at that spot. Thevirtuous son of Drona, however, endued as he was with prowess that knewno fatigue, continued to fight with the heroic son of Bhima and withDhrishtadyumna supported by his followers.[204] The prowess then thatDrona’s son displayed on that occasion was exceedingly wonderful, in asmuch as, O Bharata, none else amongst all creatures is capable ofaccomplishing such feats. Within the twinkling of an eye, he destroyed,by means of his sharp shafts, a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops withsteeds, drivers, cars, and elephants, in the very sight of Bhimasena andHidimva’s son and Prishata’s son and the twins and Dharma’s son andVijaya and Achyuta.[205] Deeply struck with the straight-going shafts (ofAswatthaman), elephants fell down on elephants on the earth likecrestless mountains. Strewn all around with the lopped off trunks ofelephants, that moved still in convulsions, the earth looked as ifoverspread with moving snakes. And the earth looked resplendent withgolden staves and royal umbrellas, like the firmament at the end of theYuga, bespangled with planets and stars and many moons and suns. AndDrona’s son caused a bloody river of impetuous current to flow there. Theblood of elephants and steeds and combatants formed its water; tallstandards its frogs; drums formed its large tortoises; umbrellas, itsrows of swans, yak-tails in profusion, Kankas and vultures, itscrocodiles; weapons its fishes; large elephants the stones and rocks onits banks; elephants and steeds, its sharks; cars, its unstable and broadbanks; and banners, its beautiful rows of trees. Having shafts for its(smaller) fishes, that frightful river had lances and darts and swordsfor snakes; marrow and flesh for its mire, and trunkless bodies floatingon it for its rafts. And it was choked with the hair (of men and animals)for its moss. And it inspired the timid with cheerlessness and fear. Andbloody waves were seen on its surface. Rendered frightful by means of thefoot-soldiers with which it teemed, Yama’s abode, was the ocean towardswhich it flowed. Having slain the Rakshasas, Drona’s son then began toafflict the son of Hidimva with arrows. Filled once more with rage, thepuissant son of Drona having pierced those mighty car-warriors, viz., theParthas including Vrikodara and the sons of Prishata, slew Suratha, oneof the sons of Drupada. Then he slew in that battle Suratha’s youngerbrother named Satrunjaya. And then he slew Valanika and Jayanika, andJaya. And once more, with a keen shaft, Drona’s son’ uttering a leonineroar, slew Prishdhra, and then proud Chandrasena. And then he slew withten arrows the ten sons of Kuntibhoja. Then, O king, Drona’s sondespatched Srutayus to the abode of Yama. With three other keen shafts,equipped with beautiful wings and red eyes, he despatched the mightySatrunjaya to the region of Sakra.[206] Then Aswatthaman, filled withrage, fixed on his bowstring a fierce and straight arrow. Drawing thestring to his ear, he quickly shot that fierce and excellent arrowresembling the rod of Death himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That mightyshaft, equipped with beautiful wings, passing through the chest of thatRakshasa, O lord of the earth, entered the earth, piercing through it,Ghatotkacha thereupon fell down on the car. Beholding him fallen down andbelieving him to be dead, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna took himaway from the presence of Drona’s son and caused him to be placed uponanother car. Thus, O king, that car-force of Yudhishthira turned awayfrom the fight. The heroic son of Drona having vanquished his foes,uttered a loud roar. And he was worshipped by all men and all thy sons, Osire.'[207] The earth, strewn all around with the fallen bodies of deadRakshasas, pierced and mangled with hundreds of arrows, became fiercelooking and impassable, as if strewn with mountain summits. The Siddhasand Gandharvas and Pisachas, and Nagas, and birds, and Pitris and ravensand large numbers of cannibals and ghosts, and Apsaras and celestials,all combined in highly applauding the son of Drona.'”