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Sanjaya said:
O lord of kings, the son of Droṇa, having thus reflected, descended from his chariot and stood, meditating with full concentration.
Drauṇi said:
He is fierce, steadfast, auspicious, Rudra, Sharva, Ishana, the Lord, Lord of the mountains, the bestower of boons, the god, Bhava, the creator, and the imperishable one.
He is the blue-throated, unborn, powerful, the destroyer, the destroyer of sacrifices, Hara; of universal form, odd-eyed, of many forms, and the consort of Umā.
He is the proud, matted-haired, celibate lord, the great leader of the hosts, who dwells in the cremation ground, holding a club and a skull.
Even with a mind that is incapable of deep thought and is weak, I shall worship the destroyer of Tripura by offering myself.
He who is praised, praiseworthy, being praised, infallible, clad in hide, reddish, blue-throated, unattached, and difficult to be checked.
He is pure, the creator of the universe, Brahman, a true celibate, ever observant of vows, always engaged in austerity, infinite, and the ultimate goal of ascetics.
He is of many forms, the lord of the gaṇas, three-eyed, beloved by the attendants; his face is gazed upon by the lord of the gaṇas, and he is dear to the heart of Gauri.
He is the father of Kumāra, tawny in color, who rides the best bull, wears scanty clothing, is extremely fierce, and is devoted to adorning Umā.
He is the supreme, higher than all others, the highest, beyond whom nothing exists; the best wielder of the bow, the southernmost end of the directions.
I take refuge in the divine being, who is golden-armored and adorned with the moon on his crest, through supreme concentration.
Today, I will overcome this terrible and nearly insurmountable calamity. With pure offerings from all beings, I will worship the pure one.
Thus, knowing his resolve of renunciation, a golden altar appeared before the great soul.
Then, O king, Citrabhanu, the Sun, was born on that altar, filling the sky, all directions, and space with his flames.
Here, shining mouths and eyes, with many feet, heads, and arms, resembling elephants and mountains, great faces appeared.
There were also beings with the forms of dogs, boars, camels, horses, jackals, cow faces, bear faces, cat faces, tiger faces, and panther faces.
There were beings with the faces of crows, aquatic birds, parrots, great serpents, and swans, all possessing a white radiance.
O Bhārata, there were also beings with faces like wooden mortars, herons, tortoises, crocodiles, and porpoises.
There were beings with faces of great sea-monsters, whales, lions, herons, pigeons, and elephants.
There were beings with pigeon faces, duck beaks, hand-like ears, a thousand eyes, and a hundred bellies.
O Bhārata, there were terrible beings who were fleshless, had the faces of cuckoos, hawks, and bears, some were headless as well, O king.
O king, there were others with blazing eyes and tongues, mouths of flame, and faces like rams and goats.
They had the appearance, faces, and ears like conch-shells; they were adorned with garlands of conch-shells and resounded together with the sound of conch-shells.
There were beings with matted hair, five tufts, bald heads, thin bellies, four fangs, four tongues, conch-shaped ears, and crowns.
O King, there were those who bore crowns, some with curled hair, some wearing turbans and crowns, all with beautiful, well-adorned faces.
There were hundreds and thousands of beings, bearing lotuses, blue lotuses, crowns, and white lotuses, all joined together by their greatness.
O Bhārata, there were warriors armed with spiked maces, discs, pestles, slings, nooses, and maces in their hands.
On their backs were fastened quivers filled with variegated arrows; they were fierce in battle, adorned with banners, flags, bells, and battle-axes.
They held great nooses, clubs, and swords, their hands like pillars; their crowns were raised by serpents, and they wore great serpent armlets and various ornaments.
All of them were covered with dust and smeared with mud, dressed in white garments and garlands, some with blue bodies, some with lotus-like bodies, and some with shaven heads, all in the same manner.
The golden-bright, joyful attendants played large drums, conches, mridangas, cymbals, and gomukha drums.
Some were singing, others were dancing; some were leaping, jumping, and bounding—these were the mighty ones.
They ran swiftly and fiercely, their hair tossed by the wind, like intoxicated great elephants, roaring again and again.
They were very formidable and terrifying in appearance, armed with spears and lances, dressed in garments of many colors, and adorned with various garlands and ointments.
They wore jewel-studded armlets, raised their hands, and were heroic destroyers of enemies, irresistible in valor and force.
There are those who drink blood and fat, whose food consists of flesh and entrails; some have shaven heads, some have diseased ears, some are emaciated, and some have swollen bellies.
They were of various forms: some very short, some very tall, all very strong and extremely terrifying; grotesque in appearance, with hanging black lips, large genitals, and lumps of bone.
Those with very costly crowns, as well as shaven-headed and matted-haired ascetics, are such that, even if they could bring the sky with the sun, moon, planets, and stars down to earth, (they would not equal him).
Those who are eager to destroy the fourfold multitude of beings, and those who are always fearless, are the warriors born from the frown of Hara (Śiva).
They are the performers of desire, accomplished beings, supreme lords of the three worlds, ever rejoicing in eternal bliss, masters of speech, and free from envy.
Those who, even after attaining eightfold prosperity, are not amazed—such people are those whose actions always astonish Lord Hara (Śiva).
He, who is always worshipped by devotees through mind, speech, and actions, protects such devotees just as one would protect one's own sons born from oneself.
But others, always angry and blood-clad, who are haters of Brahman, always drink the Soma consisting of twenty-four.
Those who, through study of the Veda, celibacy, austerity, and self-control, have devotedly worshipped Śiva, have attained union with him.
Maheshvara, accompanied by Pārvatī and his own beings, enjoys the company of all beings as the Lord of past, present, and future.
They approached Aśvatthāman, filling the whole world with various wonderful laughter, whistles, and loud roars.
The radiant beings, praising the great god, sought to enhance the glory of Drona's noble son.
Desiring to witness the splendor of the Sauptika (night) event, hosts of spirits of terrible form, armed with fierce iron clubs, blazing spears, and lances, gathered from all directions.
The mighty one, even when looking at those who could instill fear in the three worlds by their mere presence, did not feel any distress.
Then Aśvatthāman, the son of Droṇa, with his bow in hand and wearing a leather finger-guard, personally offered himself as a sacrifice.
O Bhārata, in that act, bows are the fuel-sticks, arrows are the sharp purifiers, the offering is the self of the self-possessed.
Then, the valiant son of Droṇa, though greatly enraged, performed a ritual with a gentle incantation and offered himself as a sacrifice.
Having praised Rudra, who performs fierce deeds and is infallible, with fierce actions, the great-souled one spoke thus with joined palms.
O Lord, today I, born in the family of Angiras, offer myself as an offering into the fire; please accept me.
O Mahadeva, with utmost devotion and concentration, in this calamity, O soul of the universe, I offer my service before you.
All beings exist in you, and you are present in all beings. The unity of the qualities of the primordials truly abides in you.
O Lord, indweller of all beings, all-pervading one, I have presented myself as the offering. Please accept me, O Lord, for what is impossible for others has been accomplished by me.
Having said this, the son of Droṇa ascended the blazing altar, renounced his life, and sat down on the black path.
Seeing him standing motionless with raised arms and the oblation presented, the venerable Mahadeva himself spoke, as if smiling.
Through truthfulness, purity, straightforwardness, renunciation, austerity, discipline, forbearance, devotion, steadfastness, wisdom, and also by speech.
Kṛṣṇa, whose actions are effortless, has worshipped me properly. Therefore, there is no one dearer to me than Kṛṣṇa.
By honoring him and out of my desire to know you, I have often protected the Pāñcālas suddenly and performed many magical feats.
This honor was done for him by me in protecting the Pāñcālas. But now, overpowered by time, none of them remain alive today.
Having thus spoken to the great archer, the Lord entered his own body and gave him a pure and excellent sword.
Then, possessed by the Lord, he once again blazed with radiance. In the battle, the mighty-bodied one shone with the brilliance created by the gods.
Invisible beings and demons rushed about him as he approached the enemy camp, as if he were the Lord Himself.
