07.101
Sanjaya said:
In the afternoon, O great king, a battle took place. The sound was like that of thunderclouds, as Drona engaged once more with the Somakas.
The heroic warrior, focused and determined, mounted his red horse-drawn chariot and charged towards the Pandavas in the battle, maintaining a moderate speed.
The mighty archer, engaged in tasks dear and beneficial to you, is born from the best of pots and wields sharp arrows with variegated feathers.
O Bharata, mighty Bharadvaja, as if searching for the best of warriors, played in the battle, O king.
Bṛhatkṣatra, the eldest and fiercest of the five heroic brothers of the Kekayas, approached him as a great chariot-warrior.
Releasing sharp arrows, he covered the teacher intensely, just as a great cloud releases rain on the mountain Gandhamadana.
Droṇa, in his anger, sent seventeen arrows with golden feathers and sharpened with stones, O great king.
He joyfully cut down each of the terrible arrows released by Drona's bow, which were like serpents, using ten arrows in the battle.
Upon witnessing his agility, the esteemed sage, with a smile, dispatched eight arrows that had bent joints.
Upon seeing the arrows swiftly falling from Droṇa's bow, he countered them effectively using his own sharp and sturdy arrows.
Then, O great king, your army was astonished upon witnessing the very difficult feat accomplished by the great warrior.
Then Droṇa, O great king, recognizing Kekaya, unleashed the divine Brahma weapon in the battle, demonstrating his great austerity.
O King, Kaikeya was prevented by Acyuta. The mighty-armed one indeed uttered it in battle through a Brahmin.
In the battle, he countered Bharadvaja's weapon and struck the Brahmin with sixty arrows that had golden feathers and were sharpened with stone.
Droṇa, the greatest among warriors, shot him with an iron arrow. The arrow pierced through his armor and embedded itself into the ground.
"O best of kings, just as a black snake emerges from an anthill, so did the arrow strike the earth, piercing Kaikeya in the battle."
Pierced severely by Droṇa, the expert in weapons, he turned around, greatly overcome by anger, with his auspicious eyes.
He struck Drona with seventy arrows that had golden feathers and were sharpened on stone. He also hit his charioteer with an arrow in the arms and chest.
Drona, though greatly wounded by Brihatkshatra, O sir, retaliated by releasing sharp arrows towards the chariot of Kekaya.
Droṇa, having unsettled Bṛhatkṣatra, the great chariot-warrior, shot a sharp arrow towards Kekaya, O Bhārata.
Deeply pierced by the enemy, the warrior quickly fell from the chariot, his heart shattered, O great king.
Upon the death of the great charioteer of the Kekayas, Shishupala, filled with intense anger, addressed his charioteer.
O charioteer, proceed to where Drona is positioned, poised to destroy all the Kekayas and the Panchala forces.
Upon hearing those words, the charioteer swiftly brought the best of the warriors to Droṇa, using the swift horses of the Kamboja.
Dhritaketu, the mighty warrior of the Cedis, charged at Drona with great speed, resembling a moth rushing towards a flame.
He attacked Drona with sixty arrows, targeting his horses, chariot, and banner, as if striking a sleeping tiger with sharp arrows.
Droṇa skillfully severed the bow of the powerful king who was striving in the battle with a sharp arrow.
Then Śiśupāla, the great chariot-warrior, took another bow and pierced Droṇa once more with his firm and sharp arrows.
The mighty Droṇa, after killing the horses and the charioteer, attacked him with twenty-five arrows.
The king of Cedi, deprived of his chariot and bow, angrily hurled his mace at Bhāradvāja's chariot during the battle.
Bharadvaja, with his many thousands of arrows, brought down the terrifying and frightening figure that was suddenly approaching, which was made of solid stone, heavy, and adorned with gold.
She, adorned with red garlands and garments, fell to the ground like a star from the sky, struck by Bharadvaja's mace.
Upon witnessing the mace being struck down, the enraged Dhṛṣṭaketu quickly hurled a spear and a radiant golden dart.
In the great battle, Droṇa skillfully and mightily cut off the spear with three arrows and suddenly severed the power.
Then the mighty Bharadvaja sent his sharp arrow in battle, desiring to kill.
The arrow, having pierced his armor and heart of immense energy, reached the earth like a swan gliding to a lotus-lake.
O King, just as a hungry crow would swallow a moth, the valiant Droṇa devoured Dhṛṣṭaketu in the great battle.
After the Cedi king was slain, his son, who was a master of weaponry and consumed by anger, took over that part of the kingdom.
Droṇa, with a smile, sent him to the abode of Yama with his arrows, just as a mighty tiger in the vast forest would take down a young deer.
As the Pandavas were being destroyed, O Bharata, the brave son of Jarasandha personally attacked Drona.
He quickly made Droṇa invisible by covering him with sharp arrows, just as a cloud covers the sun, O great king.
Upon witnessing his agility, Droṇa, known as the destroyer of warriors, swiftly unleashed arrows in hundreds and subsequently in thousands.
In the battle, Droṇa, having covered the best of charioteers standing on the chariot, killed Jārāsandha in the presence of all archers.
Whoever merges into Drona, that Drona, resembling death, takes all beings when the time arrives, just like death does.
Then Droṇa, known as a great archer, declared his presence in the battle and bewildered the sons of Pandu with countless arrows.
Then, the arrows marked by Drona, with golden tips and sharpened on stone, struck men, elephants, and horses from all directions in the battle.
The Pāñcālas trembled like cows afflicted by cold, as they were being killed by Droṇa, just as great demons tremble when attacked by Indra.
Then, O best of the Bharatas, a dreadful uproar arose from the Pandavas as their armies were being slaughtered by Drona.
In the battle, the great charioteers of the Panchalas were bewildered by Bharadvaja's rain of arrows and were caught by the crocodile-like arms.
The Chedis, Srnjayas, and Somakas, filled with enthusiasm and intent on battle, charged towards Bharadwaja, O great king.
The warriors, striving with all their might and shining brightly, approached Droṇa, believing him to be slain, and sought to lead him in battle towards the abode of Yama.
Bharadvaja, with his arrows, sent those valiant heroes, particularly the prominent Cedi leaders, to the abode of Yama.
As the chief warriors of the Cedis were being destroyed, O Bharata, the Panchalas trembled, afflicted by the arrows of Drona.
They cried out to Bhimasena and towards Dhrishtadyumna's chariot, witnessing the formidable deeds of Drona, O lord.
The Brahmin has indeed performed a great and difficult penance. Thus, the valiant one burns the best of warriors in battle.
For a warrior, duty lies in battle, while for a Brahmin, it is in supreme austerity. An ascetic, having gained knowledge, can even incinerate with a mere glance.
The mighty warriors, like bulls, entered the fiery weapon of Drona. Many were consumed in the dreadful and insurmountable place, O Bharata.
The greatly radiant Drona, with his strength, enthusiasm, and energy, deludes all beings and destroys our forces.
Upon hearing their words, the warrior stood resolute and severed Drona's bow along with the arrow using a crescent-shaped arrow.
Droṇa, the destroyer of warriors, in his increased rage, took up another bow that was shining and more powerful.
There, the strong teacher placed a sharp, weight-reducing, pure, and firm arrow on the bow, drew it fully, and released it.
After fulfilling his duty as a warrior by killing, he descended to the earth. With a broken heart, he fell from his vehicle onto the ground.
Upon the slaying of Dhṛṣṭadyumna's son, the armies trembled. Then, Cekitāna, a great chariot-warrior, ascended to confront Droṇa.
He struck Droṇa in the chest with ten arrows, and also hit his charioteer and four horses with four arrows each.
His teacher shot sixteen arrows at his right arm, sixteen at the flag, and seven at his charioteer.
When his charioteer was killed, the horses took the chariot and fled from the battlefield, surrounded by arrows shot by Bharadvaja, O great one.
Upon witnessing the chariot of Chekitana with its charioteer killed and the chariot fleeing, a great fear overcame the Panchalas and the Pandavas.
Drona, in the battle, drove away the assembled heroes from the Cedis, Panchalas, and Srinjayas, and shone greatly, O lord.
Drona, though grey-haired and dark, was beyond eighty years of age, yet he moved around in battle with the vigor of a sixteen-year-old.
Then, O great king, the enemies perceived Drona, who was moving fearlessly with a thunderbolt in hand, as the destroyer of foes.
Then the wise King Drupada addressed the great king, saying, "This greedy person slays kshatriyas just as a tiger slays small creatures."
The evil-minded Duryodhana, due to his greed, will face difficulties in the worlds, as the warrior chiefs were slain in battle because of him.
Hundreds of warriors lie on the battlefield, cut down like bulls, their bodies drenched in blood, becoming food for the dogs and jackals.
After addressing the king, Drupada, the commander of the army, led the charge with the Pandavas at the forefront, swiftly advancing towards Drona in the battlefield.
