Chapter 9

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘How did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas slay Dronain battle,–Drona. who was so accomplished in weapons amongst allwielders of arms? Did his car break (in course of the fight)? Did his bowbreak while he was striking (the foe)? Or, was Drona careless at the timewhen he met with his death-blow? How, indeed, O child, could Prishata’sson, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna) the prince of the Panchalas, slay that heroincapable of being humiliated by enemies, who scattered thick showers ofshafts furnished with wings of gold, and who was endued with greatlightness of hand, that foremost of Brahmanas, who was accomplished ineverything, acquainted with all modes of warfare, capable of shooting hisshafts to a great distance, and self-restrained, who was possessed ofgreat skill in the use of weapons and armed with celestial weapons, thatmighty warrior, of unfading glory, who was always careful, and whoachieved the fiercest feats in battle? It is plain, it seems to me, thatdestiny is superior to exertion, since even brave Drona hath been slainby the high-souled son of Prishata, that hero in whom were the four kindsof weapons, alas, thou sayest that that Drona, that preceptor inbowmanship, is slain. Hearing of the slaughter of that hero who used toride his bright car covered with tiger skins and adorned with pure gold.I cannot drive away my grief. Without doubt, O Sanjaya, no one dies ofgrief caused by another’s calamity, since, wretch that I am, I am yetalive although I have heard of Drona’s death. Destiny I regard to be allpowerful, exertion is fruitless. Surely, my heart, hard as it is, is madeof adamant, since it breaketh not into a hundred pieces, although I haveheard of Drona’s death. He who was waited up-on by Brahmanas and princesdesirous of instruction in the Vedas and divination and bowmanship, alas,how could he be taken away by Death? I cannot brook the overthrow ofDrona which is even like the drying up of the ocean, or the removal ofMeru from its site, or the fall of the Run from the firmament. He was arestrainer of the wicked and a protector of the righteous. That scorcherof foes who hath given up his life for the wretched Duryodhana, uponwhose prowess rested that hope of victory which my wicked sonsentertained, who was equal to Vrihaspati or Usanas himself inintelligence, alas, how was he slain? His large steeds of red hue,covered with net of gold, fleet as the wind and incapable of being struckwith any weapon in battle, endued with great strength, neighingcheerfully, well-trained and of the Sindhu breed, yoked unto his car anddrawing the vehicle excellently, always preserving in the midst ofbattle, did they become weak and faint? Coolly bearing in battle the roarof elephants, while those huge creatures trumpeted at the blare of conchsand the beat of drums, unmoved by the twang of bows and showers of arrowsand other weapons, foreboding the defeat of foes by their veryappearance, never drawing long breaths (in consequence of toil), aboveall fatigue and pain, how were those fleet steeds that drew the car ofBharadwaja’s son soon over-powered? Even such were the steeds yoked untohis golden car. Even such were the steeds yoked thereto by that foremostof human heroes. Mounted on his own excellent car decked with pure gold,why, O son, could he not cross the sea of the Pandava army? What featwere achieved in battle by Bharadwaja’s son, that warrior who always drewtears from other heroes, and upon whose knowledge (of weapons) all thebowmen of the world rely? Firmly adhering to truth, and endued with greatmight, what, indeed, did Drona do in battle? Who were those car-warriorsthat encountered that achiever of fierce deeds, that foremost of allwielders of the bow, that first of heroes, who resembled Sakra himself inheaven? Did the Pandava fly away beholding him of the golden car and ofmighty strength who invoked into existence celestial weapons? Or, didking Yudhishthira the just, with his younger brothers, and having theprince of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna) for his binding chord,[13] attackDrona, surrounding him with his troops on all sides? Verily, Partha musthave, with his straight shafts, checked all the other car-warriors, andthen Prishata’s son of sinful deeds must have surrounded Drona. I do notsee any other warrior, save the fierce Dhrishtadyumna protected byArjuna, who could have compassed the death of that mighty hero? It seemsthat when those heroes, viz., the Kekayas, the Chedis, the Karushas, theMatsyas, and the other kings, surrounding the preceptor, pressed himexceedingly like ants pressing upon a snake, while he was engaged in somedifficult feat, the wretched Dhrishtadyumna must have slain him then.This is what, I think. He who, having studied the four Vedas with theirbranches and the histories forming the fifth (Veda), became the refuge ofthe Brahmanas, as the ocean is of rivers, that scorcher of foes, wholived both as a Brahmana and as a Kshatriya, alas, how could thatBrahmana, reverend in years, meet with his end at the edge of a weapon?Of a proud spirit, he was yet often humiliated and had to suffer, pain onmy account. However undeserving of it, he yet attained at the hands ofKunti’s son, the fruit of his own conduct.[14] He, upon whose featsdepend all wielders of bows in the world, alas, how could that hero,firmly adhering to truth and possessed of great skill, be slain bypersons desirous of affluence? Foremost in the world like Sakra himselfin heaven, of great might and great energy, alas, how could he be slainby the Parthas, like the whale by the smaller fish? He, from whosepresence no warrior desirous of victory could ever escape with life, hewhom, while alive, these two sounds never left, viz., the sound of theVedas by those desirous of Vedic lore, and the twang of bows caused bythose desirous of skill in bowmanship, he who was never cheerless, alas,that tiger among men, that hero endued with prosperity and nevervanquished in battle, that warrior of prowess equal to that of the lionor the elephant, hath been slain. Verily, I cannot bear the idea of hisdeath. How could Prishata’s son, in the sight of the foremost of men,slay in battle that invincible warrior whose might was never humiliatedand whose fame was never tarnished? Who were they that fought in Drona’svan, protecting him, standing by his side? Who proceeded in his rear andobtained that end which is so difficult of attainment? Who were thosehigh-souled warriors that protected the right and the left wheels ofDrona? Who were in the van of that hero while he struggled in battle? Whowere they that, reckless of their lives on that occasion, met with deathwhich stood face to face with them? Who were those heroes that went inthe last journey in Drona’s battle? Did any of those Kshatriyas that wereassigned for Drona’s protection, proving false, abandon that hero inbattle? Was he slain by the foe after such desertion and while alone?Drona would never, from fear, show his back in battle, however great thedanger. How then was he slain by the foe? Even in great distress, OSanjaya, an illustrious person should do this, viz., put forth hisprowess according to the measure of his might. All this was in Drona; Ochild, I am losing my senses. Let this discourse be suspended for awhile. After regaining my senses I will once more ask thee, O Sanjaya!'”