Chapter 7

“Drona said, ‘I know the Vedas with their six branches. I know also thescience of human affairs. I am acquainted also with the Saiva weapon, anddiverse other species of weapons.Endeavouring to actually display allthose virtues which ye, desirous of victory, have attributed to me, Iwill fight with the Pandavas. I will not, however, O king, be able toslay the son of Prishata. O bull among men, he hath been created for myslaughter. I will fight with the Pandavas, and slay the Somakas. Asregards the Pandavas, they will not fight with me with cheerful hearts.’

“Sanjaya continued, ‘Thus permitted by Drona, the son, O king, then madehim the commander of his forces according to the rites prescribed in theordinance. And the kings (in the Katirava army) headed by Duryodhanaperformed the investiture of Drona in the command of the forces, like thecelestials headed by India in days of yore performing the investiture ofSkanda. After Drona’s installation in the command, the joy of the armyexpressed itself by the sound of drums and the loud blare of conchs. Thenwith cries such as greet the ears en a festive day, with auspiciousinvocations by Brahmanas gratified with cries of Jaya uttered by foremostof Brahmanas, and with the dance of mimes, Drona was duly honoured. AndKaurava warriors regarded the Pandayas as already vanquished.’

“Sanjaya continued. ‘Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja’sson, having obtained the command, arrayed the troops in order of battle,and went out with thy sons from desire of fighting the foe. And the rulerof the Sindhus, and the chief of the Kalingas, and thy son Vikarna, cladin mail, took up their position on the right wing (of Drona). And Sakuni,accompanied by many foremost of horsemen battling with bright lances andbelonging to the Gandhara tribe, proceeded, acting as their support. AndKripa, and Kritavarman, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati headed byDuhsasana, strove vigorously for protecting the left wing. And theKamvojas headed by Sudakshina, and the Sakas, and the Yavanas, withsteeds of great fleetness, proceeded, as the latter’s support. And theMadras, the Trigartas the Amvashthas, the Westerners, the Northerners,the Malavas, the Surasenas, the Sudras the Maladas, the Sauviras, theKaitavas, the Easterners, and the Southerners placing thy son(Duryodhana) and the Suta’s son (Karna) at their head, forming the rearguard, gladdened warriors of their own army, added to the strength of the(advancing) force, Vikartana’s son Karna proceeded at the head of thebowmen.[10] And his blazing and large and tall standard bearing theadvice of the elephant’s rope, shone with an effulgence like that of theSun, gladdening his own divisions. Beholding Karna, none regarded thecalamity caused by Bhishma’s death. And the kings, along with the Kurus,all became freed from grief. And large numbers of warriors, bandedtogether, said unto one another, ‘Beholding Karna on the field, thePandavas will never be able to stand in battle. Indeed, Karna is quitecompetent to vanquish in battle the very gods with Vasava at their head.What need be said, therefore, for the sons of Pandu who are destitute ofenergy and prowess? The mighty-armed Bhishma spared the Parthas inbattle. Karna, however, will slay them in the fight with his keenshafts.’ Speaking unto one another thus and filled with joy, theyproceeded, applauding and worshipping the son of Radha. As regards ourarmy, it was arrayed by Drona in the form of a Sakata (vehicle); whilethe array of our illustrious foes, O king, was in the form of a Krauncha(crane), as disposed, O Bharata, by king Yudhishthira the just in greatcheerfulness. At the head of their array were those two foremost ofpersons viz., Vishnu and Dhananjaya, with their banner set up, bearingthe device of the ape. The hump of the whole army and the refuge of allbowmen, that banner of Partha, endued with immeasurable energy, as itfloated in the, sky, seemed to illumine the entire host of thehigh-souled Yudhishthira. The banner of Partha, possessed of greatintelligence, seemed to resemble the blazing Sun that riseth at the endof the Yuga for consuming the world. Amongst bowmen, Arjuna is theforemost; amongst bows, Gandiva is the foremost amongst creature Vasudevais the first; and amongst all kinds of discs, Sudarsana is the first.Bearing these four embodiments of energy, that car unto which were yokedwhite steeds, took up its position in the front of the (hostile) army,like the fierce discus upraised (for striking). Thus did those twoforemost of men stand at the very head of their respective forces, viz.,Karna at the head of thy army, and Dhananjaya at the head of the hostileone. Both excited with wrath, and each desirous of slaying the other,Karna and Arjuna looked at each other in that battle.’

“Then when that mighty car-warrior, viz.. Bharadwaja’s son, proceeded tobattle with great speed, the earth seemed to tremble with loud sounds ofwailing. Then the thick dust, raised by the wind resembling a canopy oftawny silk, enveloped the sky and the sun. And though the firmament wascloudless, yet a shower fell of pieces of flesh, bones, and blood. Andvultures and hawks and cranes and Kankas, and crows in thousands, begancontinually to fall upon the (Kaurava) troops. And jackals yelled aloud;and many fierce and terrible birds repeatedly wheeled to the left of thyarmy, from desire of eating flesh and drinking blood,[11] and manyblazing meteors, illuminating (the sky), and covering large areas withtheir tails, fell on the field with loud sound and trembling motion. Andthe wide disc of the sun O monarch, seemed to emit flashes of lightningwith thundering noise, when commander of the (Kaurava) army set out.These and many other portents, fierce and indicating a destruction ofheroes, were seen during the battle. Then commenced the encounter betweenthe troops of the Kurus and the Pandavas, desirous of slaying each other.And so loud was the din that it seemed to fill the whole earth. And thePandavas and the Kauravas, enraged with each other and skilled insmiting, began to strike each other with sharp weapons, from desire ofvictory. ‘Then that great bowman of blazing effulgence rushed towards thetroops of the Pandavas with great impetuosity, scattering hundreds ofsharp arrows. Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, beholding Drona rushtowards them, received him, O king, with showers upon showers (indistinct sets) of arrows. Agitated and broken by Drona, the large host ofthe Pandavas and the Panchalas broke like rows of cranes by force of thewind. Invoking into existence many celestial weapons in that battle,Drona, within a very short time, afflicted the Pandavas and theSrinjayas. Slaughtered by Drona, like Danavas by Vasava, the Panchalasheaded by Dhrishtadyumna trembled in that battle. Then that mightycar-warrior, viz., Yajnasena’s son (Dhrishtadyumna), that hero acquaintedwith celestial weapons, broke, with his arrowy showers, the division ofDrona in many places. And the mighty son of Prishata baffling with hisown arrowy showers the showers of arrows shot by Drona, caused a greatslaughter among the Kurus. The mighty-armed Drona then, rallying his menin battle and gathering them together, rushed towards the son ofPrishata. He then shot at Prishata’s son a thick shower of arrows, likeMaghavat excited with rage showering his arrows with great force upon theDanavas, Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, shaken by Drona with hisshafts, repeatedly broke like a herd of inferior animals attacked by alion. And the mighty Drona coursed through the Pandava force like acircle of fire. All this, O king, seemed highly wonderful. Mounted on hisown excellent car which (then) resembled a city coursing through theskies, which was furnished with every necessary article according to(military) science, whose banner floated on the air, whose rattleresounded through the field, whose steeds were (well) urged, and thestaff of whose standard was bright as crystal, Drona struck terror intothe hearts of the enemy and caused a great slaughter among them.'”