As a mighty mass of roaring clouds in summer with violent winds (blowing) poureth a shower of hail-stones, so did Drona pour his arrowy showers and inspired fear in the hearts of his foes. That mighty hero, that great bowman, that dispeller of the fears of his friends, careered in all directions (of the field) agitating the (hostile) host. The bow, decked with gold, of Drona of immeasurable energy, was seen in all directions like the flashes of lightning in the clouds.
The beautiful altar on his banner, as he careered in battle, O Bharata, was seen to resemble a crest or Himavat. The slaughter that Drona caused among the Pandava troops was very great, resembling that caused by Vishnu himself, the adored of both the gods and Asuras, among the Daitya host. Heroic, truthful in speech, endued with great wisdom and might, and possessed of prowess incapable of being baffled, the illustrious Drona caused a river to flow there that was fierce and capable of striking the timid with fear. Coats of mail formed its waves, and standards its eddies. And it carried away (as it ran) large numbers of mortal creatures. And elephants and steeds constituted its great alligators, and swords formed its fishes. And it was incapable of being easily crossed over. The bones of brave warriors formed its pebbles, and drums and cymbals its tortoises. And shields and armour formed its boats, and the hair of warriors its floating moss and weeds. And arrows constituted its wavelets and bows its current.
And the arms of the combatants formed its snakes.[40] And that river of fierce current, running over the field of battle, bore away both the Kurus and the Srinjayas. And the heads of human beings, constituted its stones, and their thighs its fishes. And maces constituted the rafts (by which many sought to cross it). And head-gears formed the forth that covered its surface, and the entrails (of animals) its reptiles. Awful (in mien), it bore away heroes (to the other world). And blood and flesh constituted its mire. And elephants formed its crocodiles, and standards, the trees (on its banks). Thousands of Kshatriyas sank in it. Fierce, clogged (dead) bodies, and having horse-soldiers and elephant-warriors for its sharks, it was extremely difficult to cross it. And that river ran towards the abode of Yama. And it abounded with Rakshasas and dogs and jackals. And it v as haunted by fierce cannibals all around.
“Then many Pandava warriors, headed by Kunti’s son, rushing at Drona, that mighty car-warrior consuming their divisions like Death himself, surrounded him on all sides. Indeed, those brave warriors completely encompassed Drona who was scorching everything around him like the sun himself scorching the world with his rays. Then the kings and the princes of thy army, with upraised weapons, all rushed for supporting that hero and great bowman. Then Sikhandin pierced Drona with five straight arrows. And Kshatradharman pierced him with twenty arrows, and Vasudeva with five. And Uttamaujas pierced him with three arrows, and Kshatradeva with five. And Satyaki pierced him in that battle with a hundred arrows, and Yudhamanyu with eight. And Yudhishthira pierced Drona with a dozen shafts, and Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with ten, and Chekitana with three.
Then Drona, of unbaffled aim and resembling an elephant with rent temples, getting over the car-division (of the Pandavas), overthrew Dridhasena. Approaching then king Kshema who was battling fearlessly, he struck him with nine arrows. Thereupon, Kshema, deprived of life, fell down from his car. Getting then into the midst of the (hostile) troops, he careered in all directions, protecting others, but himself in no need of Protection. He then pierced Sikhandin with twelve arrows, and Uttamaujas with twenty. And he despatched Vasudeva with a broad-headed arrow to the abode of Yama. And he pierced Kshemavarman with eighty arrows, and Sudakshina with six and twenty. And he felled Kshatradeva with a broad-headed arrow from his niche in the car. And having pierced Yudhamanyu with sixty-four arrows and Satyaki with thirty, Drona, of the golden car, quickly approached Yudhishthira.
Then Yudhishthira, that best of kings, quickly fled away from the preceptor, borne by his fleet steeds. Then Panchala rushed at Drona. Drona slew the prince, cutting off his bow, and felling his steeds and charioteer along with him. Deprived of life, the prince fell down on the earth from his car, like a luminary loosened from the firmament. Upon the fall of that illustrious prince of the Panchalas, loud cries were heard thereof, ‘Slay Drona, Slay Drona!’ The mighty Drona then began to crush and mangle the Panchalas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas, and the Pandavas, all excited with rage. And supported by the Kurus, Drona, then vanquished Satyaki and Chekitana’s son, and Senavindu, and Suvarchas, all these and numerous other kings. Thy warriors, O king, having obtained the victory in that great battle, slew the Pandavas as they flew away in all directions. And the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas and the Matsyas, thus slaughtered on all sides like the Danavas by Indra, began to tremble (with fear).’
SECTION XXII
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘When the Pandavas were broken by Bharadwaja’s son in hat dreadful battle, and the Panchalas also, was there anybody that approached Drona for battle? Alas, beholding Drona stationed in battle, like a, awning tiger, or an elephant with rent temples, ready to lay down his life in battle, well-armed, conversant with all modes of fight, that great bowman, that tiger among men, that enhancer of the fear of foes, grateful, devoted to truth, ever desirous of benefiting Duryodhana,–alas, beholding him at the head of his troops, was there no man that could approach him, with a laudable determination for battle a determination that enhances the renown of Kshatriyas, that mean-spirited persons can never form, and that is distinctive only of the foremost of persons? Tell me, O Sanjaya, who were those heroes that approached the son of Bharadwaja, beholding him at the head of his forces?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding the Panchalas, the Pandavas, the Matsyas, the Srinjayas, the Chedis, the Kalikeyas, thus routed after being broken in battle by Drona with his shafts, beholding them thus driven from the field by those showers of fleet arrows shot from Drona’s, bow, like vessels sent adrift by the awful waves of the tempest-tossed ocean, the Kauravas with many leonine shouts and with the noise of diverse instruments, began to assail the cars and elephants and foot-soldiers (of that hostile host) from all sides. And beholding those (fleeting soldiers of the Pandavas) king Duryodhana, stationed in the midst of his own forces and encompassed by his own relatives and kinsmen, filled with joy, and laughing as he spoke, said these words unto Karna.’
“Duryodhana said, ‘Behold, O Radha’s son, the Panchalas broken by that firm bowman (Drona) with his shafts, like a herd of the wild deer frightened by a lion. These, I think, will not again come to battle. They have been broken by Drona like mighty trees by the tempest. Afflicted by that high-souled warrior with those shafts winged with gold, they are fleeing away, no two persons are together. Indeed, they seem to be dragged in eddies all over the field. Checked by the Kauravas as also by the high-souled Drona, they are huddling close to one another like (a herd of) elephants in the midst of a conflagration. Like a blossoming trees penetrated by flights of bees, these warriors, pierced with the sharp shafts of Drona, are huddling close to one another, as they are flying away from the field. There, the wrathful Bhima, abandoned by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, and surrounded by my warriors, delighteth me greatly, O Karna! It is evident, that wicked wight beholdeth the world today to be full of Drona! Without doubt, that son of Pandu hath today become hopeless of life and kingdom.’
“Karna said, ‘That mighty-armed warrior will not certainly abandon the battle as long as he is alive. Nor will he, O tiger among men, brook these leonine shouts (of ours). Nor will the Pandavas, I think, be defeated in battle. They are brave, endued with great might, accomplished in weapons, and difficult of being resisted in battle. Recollecting the woes caused them by our attempts at poisoning and burning them, and the woes that arose from the match at dice, bearing in mind also their exile in, the woods, the Pandavas, I think, will not abandon the fight. The mighty-armed Vrikodara of immeasurable energy hath already turned back (for the fight). The son of Kunti will certainly slay many of our foremost car-warriors. With sword and bow and dart, with steeds and elephants and men and cars,[41] with his mace made of iron, he will slay crowds (of our soldiers). Other car-warriors headed by Satyajit, together with the Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and especially the Pandavas, are following him. They are all brave, and possessed of great might and prowess. Mighty car-warriors, they are again led by Bhima in wrath. Those bulls of the race, surrounding Vrikodara on all sides, like the clouds surrounding the Sun, begin to approach Drona from all sides.
