07. DRONA PARVA (196)

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the slaughter, byunrighteous means, of his aged sire, by Dhrishtadyumna, what, did thevaliant

“Sanjaya said.. ‘Hearing of the slaughter of his sire by Dhrishtadyumna,of sinful deeds, Drona’s son was filled with grief and rage, O bull amongmen.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the weapon called Narayana was invoked, violentwinds began to blow with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heardalthough the sky was cloudless.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of Arjuna, the mighty car-warriorspresent there said not a single word, O monarch, agreeable ordisagreeable, unto Dhananjaya.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘That illustrious person who had duly studied theVedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms andmodesty

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Drona’s son began to cause a great carnage amongsthis foes in that battle, like the Destroyer himself at the end of theYuga.

“Sanjaya said, “Beholding Bhimasena overwhelmed by that weapon,Dhananjaya, for baffling its energy, covered him with the Varuna weapon.

“Dhritarashtra said, Upon the slaughter of the Atiratha, viz., Drona, byPrishata’s son, what did my sons and the Pandavas next do?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Adhiratha’s son of the Suta caste, knowing thatBhishma had been slain, became desirous of rescuing, like a brother, thyson’s army from the distress into which it had fallen, and which thenresembled a boat sunk in the fathomless ocean. [Indeed],

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having passed the night, that mighty car-warrior viz.,Bharadwaja’s son, addressed Suyodhana, O monarch, saying, ‘I amthine![33] I have made arrangements for Partha’s encounter with theSamsaptaka.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having battled fiercely for five days, O king, theBrahmana (Drona) endued with great strength, fell and repaired to theregion of Brahma.

“Sanjaya continued, ‘Then Drona, beholding Yudhishthira near himfearlessly received him with a thick shower of arrows.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When the Pandavas were broken by Bharadwaja’s sonin hat dreadful battle, and the Panchalas also, was there anybody thatapproached Drona for battle?

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, the distinctive indications ofthe cars of all those who, excited with wrath and headed by Bhimasena,had proceeded against Drona.’

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When the troops were thus engaged and thusproceeded against one another in separate divisions, how did Partha andthe warriors of my army endued with great activity fight?

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thou askest me about the feats of Arjuna in battle.Listen, O thou of mighty arms, to what Partha achieved in the fight.

“Sanjaya said, ‘At Partha’s desire, Krishna then urged his white steeds,fleet as the mind and covered in golden armour, towards Drona’sdivisions.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Filled with rage, what did Partha, the son ofPandu, do to Bhagadatta? What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas doto Partha? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!’

“Sanjaya said, Having slain Bhagadatta who was ever the favourite and Ifriend of Indra and who was possessed of great energy, Parthacircumambulated him.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When those divisions (of mine), O Sanjaya, werebroken and routed, and all of you retreated quickly from the field, whatbecame the state of your minds?

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding the grandsire, viz., the venerable Bhishma,that destroyer of all the

“Sanjaya said, ‘Vrikodara, however, could not brook that slaughter of hisarmy. He struck Valhika with sixty and Karna with ten arrows. Drona then,desirous of slaying Bhima, quickly struck the latter, in his very vitals,many straight and whetted shafts of keen edge.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having been first broken by Arjuna of immeasurableprowess, and owing also to the failure of Drona’s vow, in consequence ofYudhishthira having been well-protected, thy warriors were regarded asdefeated.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Of fierce deeds in battle and above all fatigue, asproved by their feats, five sons of Pandu, with Krishna, are incapable ofbeing resisted by the very gods.

“Sanjaya said, ‘The Parthas then, headed by Bhimasena, approached thatinvincible array protected by Bharadwaja’s son. And Satyaki, andChekitana, and Dhrishtadyumna.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the intelligent Yudhishthira, theson of Subhadra, O Bharata, urged his charioteer towards Drona’s array.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding his army routed by Subhadra’s son ofimmeasurable energy, Duryodhana, filled with rage, himself proceededagainst the former.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘While Arjuna’s son was thus grinding, by means ofhis straight arrows, our foremost bowmen, what warriors of my armyendeavoured to check him?’

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘My heart, O Sanjaya, is agitated with differentemotions, viz., shame and gratification, upon hearing that Subhadra’s sonsingly held in cheek the whole army of my son. O son of Gavalgana, ten meeverything once more in detail about the encounter of youthful Abhimanyu,which seems to have been pretty like Skanda’s encounter with the Asurahost.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then the intelligent Abhimanyu, with limbs mangled witharrows, smilingly addressed his foe, Duhsasana, stationed before himsaying,

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then the younger brother of Karna, uttering loud roars,bow in hand, and repeatedly stretching the bow-string, quickly placedhimself between those two illustrious warriors.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Unto him who was talking thus, the aged Kuru grandsirewith a cheerful heart, said these words adapted to both time and place:’

“Dhritarashtra said, A mere child in years, brought up in great luxury,proud of the strength of his arms, accomplished in battle, endued withgreat heroism, the perpetuator of his race, and prepared to lay down hislife–when Abhimanyu penetrated into the Katirava army, borne on histhree-years old steeds of spirited mettle, was there any of greatwarriors, in Yudhishthira’s army, that followed the son of Arjuna?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thou askest me, O monarch, about the prowess of the rulerof the Sindhus. Listen to me as I describe in detail how he fought withthe Pandavas.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the ruler of the Sindhus checked the Pandavas,desirous of success, the battle that took place then between thy troopsand the enemy became awful.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Engaged in taking the lives of brave warriors, Arjuna’sson then resembled the Destroyer himself, when the latter takes the livesof all creatures on the arrival of the Universal Dissolution.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘That which thou tellest me, O Suta, about thebattle, fierce and terrible, between the one and the many, and thevictory of that illustrious one, that story of the prowess of Subhadra’sson is highly wonderful and almost incredible.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘While the youthful and invincible son of Subhadra,never retreating from battle, was, after penetrating into our array,engaged in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by his three-yearold steeds of great might and of the best breed, and apparently trottingin the welkin, what heroes of my army encompassed him?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Phalguni’s son once more pierced Karna in the car with abarbed arrow, and for angering him still further, he pierced him withfifty other shafts.

“Sanjaya said, ‘That joy of Vishnu’s sister (viz., Abhimanyu), thatAtiratha, decked with the weapons of Vishnu himself, looked exceedinglybeautiful on the field of battle and looked like a second Janardana.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having thus slain one of their foremost warriors, andhaving been afflicted with their arrows, we came back to our encampmentin the evening, covered with blood.

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the slaughter of that hero, that leader ofcar-divisions, viz., the son of Subhadra, the Pandava warriors, leavingtheir cars and putting off their armour, and throwing aside their

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding that tiger among men, viz., Karna, mounted onhis car, Duryodhana, O king, filled with joy, said these words, ‘Thishost, protected by thee, hath now, I think, got a proper leader. Letthat, however, be settled now which is proper and within our power.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘While Kunti’s son, Yudhishthira, was indulging in suchlamentations, the great Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana came to him.

“Sthanu said, ‘O lord, thou hadst taken great care for creating diversecreatures. Indeed, creatures of diverse kinds were created and reared bythee. Those very creatures, again, are now being consumed through thyfire. Seeing this, I am filled with compassion. O illustrious lord, beinclined to grace.’

“Narada said, ‘The helpless lady, suppressing her arrow within her ownself, addressed, with joined hands, the Lord of the creation, bendingwith humility like a creeper.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing of the origin of Death and her strange acts, kingYudhishthira, humbly addressing Vyasa, once more said these words untohim.’

“Narada said, ‘King Suhotra also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey todeath. He was the foremost of heroes, and invincible in battle. The verygods used to come for seeing him.

“Narada said, ‘The heroic king Paurava also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell aprey to death. That king gave away a thousand times thousand horses thatwere all white in hue.

“Narada said, Usinara’s son, Sivi also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death. That king had, as it were, put a leathern girdle around theearth, making the earth with her mountains and islands and seas andforests resound with the clatter of his car.

“Narada said, ‘Rama, the son of Dasaratha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell aprey to death. His subjects were as much delighted with him, as a sire isdelighted with the children of his loins.

“Narada said, ‘Even king Bhagiratha, O Srinjaya, we hear, was dead. Hecaused the shores of Ganga, called after his name Bhagirath to be coveredwith flights of steps made of gold.[99]

“Narada said, ‘Dilipa, the son of Havila, too, O Srinjaya, we hear, fella prey to death. Brahmanas, vested in knowledge of Truth, devoted to theperformance of sacrifices, blessed with children and children’s childrenand numbering myriads upon myriads, were present at his hundreds ofsacrifices.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of Karna, king Duryodhana. then saidthis unto Drona who was staying in the midst of the troops.’

“Narada said, ‘Mandhatri’ the son of Yuvanaswa, O Srinjaya, we hear, fella prey to death. That king vanquished the gods, the Asuras and men.

“Narada said, ‘Yayati, the son of Nahusha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell aprey to death.

“Narada said, ‘Nabhaga’s son, Amvarisha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death. Alone he battled a thousand times with a thousand kings.Desirous of victory, those foes, accomplished in weapons, rushed againsthim in battle from all sides, uttering fierce exclamations.

“Narada said, ‘King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.Of great beauty and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performeddiverse sacrifices.

“Narada said, ‘Gaya, the son of Amartarayas, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell aprey to death, That king, for a hundred years, ate nothing but whatremained of the libations of clarified butter poured into the sacrificialfire.

“Narada said, ‘Dushmanta’s son, Bharata, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death. While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved featsincapable of being achieved by others.

“Narada said, ‘Vena’s son, king Prithu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a preyto death, In the Rajasuya sacrifice he performed, the great Rishisinstalled him as Emperor (of the world).

“Narada said, ‘Even the great ascetic Rama, the hero worshipped by allheroes, that son of Jamadagni, of great fame, will die, without beingcontented (with the period of his life).

“Vyasa said, ‘Hearing this sacred history of sixteen kings, capable ofenhancing the period of life (of the listener), king Srinjaya remainedsilent without saying anything.

“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.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When that terrible day, so fraught with the slaughter ofcreatures, departed, and when the sun set, the beautiful twilight of theevening spread itself.

“Yudhishthira said,–O mighty-armed one, after thou hadst gone towardsthe army of the Samsaptakas, the preceptor Drona made fierce endeavoursfor seizing me.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the spies (of Duryodhana), having heard that louduproar made by the Pandavas desirous of victory, informed (their mastersof the cause),

“Sanjaya said, ‘After Partha had vowed the death of the ruler of theSindhus, the mighty-armed Vasudeva addressed Dhananjaya and said,–Withthe consent of thy brothers (alone, but without consulting me), thou hastsworn, saying–

“Arjuna said, ‘These six car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra army whom thouregardest to be so strong their (united) energy, I think is not equal toeven half of mine!

“Sanjaya said, ‘Both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, afflicted with sorrow andgrief and frequently sighing like two snakes, got no sleep that night

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the high-souled Kesava, Subhadra,afflicted with grief on account of the death of her son, began to indulgein these piteous lamentations:

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then lord Kesava, of eyes like lotus-petals, havingentered the unrivalled mansion of Arjuna, touched water, and spread (forArjuna) on the auspicious and even floor an excellent bed of Kusa bladesthat were of the hue of the lapis lazuli.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, of inconceivable prowessthinking of how to accomplish his vow, recollected the mantras (given tohim by Vyasa).

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Partha, with a cheerful soul and joined hands andeyes expanded (in wonder), gazed at the god having the bull for his markand who was the receptacle of every energy.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding Drona thus slaying steeds and drivers andcar-warriors and elephants, the Pandavas, without being troubled,encompassed him on all sides.

“Sanjaya said, ‘While Krishna and Daruka were thus conversing together,that night, O king, passed away. (When morning dawned), king Yudhishthirarose from his bed.

“Sanjaya said, ‘Then king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, salutingDevaki’s son Janardana, and cheerfully addressed him saying ‘Hast thoupassed the night happily, O slayer of Madhu?

“Sanjaya said, ‘While Yudhishthira, Vasudeva, and others were thusconversing, Dhananjaya came there, desirous of beholding that foremostone of Bharata’s race, viz., the king, as also his friends andwell-wishers.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘After Abhimanyu’s slaughter when the next day came,what did the Pandavas, afflicted with grief and sorrow do?

“Sanjaya said, ‘I will tell thee all, for everything hath been witnessedby me with my own eyes. Listen calmly. Great is thy fault.

“Sanjaya said, ‘After that fight had passed away, Drona, that foremost ofall wielders of weapons, began to array all his divisions for battle.Diverse sounds were heard, O monarch of angry heroes shouting in wrathand desirous of slaying one another.

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the divisions of the Kuru army had been (thus)arrayed, and a loud uproar, O sire, had, arisen; after drums andMridangas began to be beaten and

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When the van of my army thus slaughtered by thediadem-decked (Arjuna) broke and fled, who were those heroes thatadvanced against Arjuna? (Did any of them actually fight with Arjuna, or)did all, abandoning their determination enter the Sakata array, gettingbehind the fearless Drona, resembling a solid wall?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Slaying the force of Duhsasana, the mighty car-warrior,Savyasachin, desirous of getting at the ruler of the Sindhus, proceededagainst the division of Drona,

“Sanjaya said, ‘Held in check by them, that foremost of car-warriors,viz., Partha of great might and prowess, was quickly pursued by Dronafrom behind.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘How did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas slay Dronain battle,–Drona. who was so accomplished in weapons amongst allwielders of arms?

“Sanjaya said, ‘Upon the fall of Sudakshina and of the heroic Srutayudha,O monarch, thy warriors, filled with wrath, rushed with speed at Partha.

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the son of Kunti, impelled by the desire of slayingthe ruler of the Sindhus, had penetrated (into the Bharata host) havingpierced through the irresistible divisions of both Drona and the Bhojas,after the heir of the ruler of the Kamvojas, viz.,

“Sanjaya said, ‘After that bull among men, viz., Duryodhana, had set outfrom behind, following Partha and him of Vrishni’s race, O king, both ofwhom had penetrated into the Kaurava army, the

“Sanjaya said, ‘Listen, O king, to me as I describe to thee the wonderfulbattle that then took place between the Kurus and the Pandavas.

“Sanjaya said, ‘When that fierce battle, causing the hair to stand onend, commenced, the Pandavas rushed against the Kauravas who had beendivided into three bodies.

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘After that shafts of Drona had been cut off andDhrishtadyumna thus rescued, O Sanjaya, by Yuyudhana, that foremost oneof the Vrishni race, what did that great bowman, that foremost of allwielders of weapons, viz.,

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the sun turned in his downward course towards thesummit of the Asta hills, when the welkin was covered with dust, when theheat of the solar rays abated, the day began to fade fast.

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the high-souled son of Kunti had created thatwater, after he had commenced to hold in cheek the hostile army, andafter he had built also that arrowy hall,

“Sanjaya said, ‘O monarch! I beholding Vasudeva and Dhananjaya penetrateinto their host, having already pierced through many divisions, the kingsof the army, fled away in fear.

“Vasudeva said, ‘Behold, O Dhananjaya, this Suyodhana who hathtransgressed us! I regard this as highly wonderful. There is nocar-warrior equal to him.