“Sanjaya continued, Having said those words unto Aswatthaman, he then addressed the son of Suvala, saying, ’Dhananjaya is engaged in battle surrounded by a hundred thousand car-warriors of great valour.  Go thou against him, with sixty thousand cars.  Karna also, and Vrishasena and Kripa, and Nila, and the Northerners, and Kritavarman, and the sons of Purumitra, and Duhsasana, and Nikumbha, and Kundabhedin, and Puranjaya and Dridharatha, and Hemakampana, and Salya, and Aruni, and Indrasena, and Sanjaya, and Vijaya, and Jaya, and Purakrathin, and Jayavarman, and Sudarsana, these will follow thee, with sixty thousand foot-soldiers.  O uncle, slay Bhima and the twins and king Yudhishthira the Just, like the chief of the celestials slaying the Asuras.  My hope of victory is in thee.  Already pierced by Drona’s son with shafts, all their limbs have been exceedingly mangled.  Slay the sons of Kunti, O uncle, like Kartikeya slaying the Asuras.’  Thus addressed by thy son, Sakuni proceeded quickly to destroy the Pandavas, filling thy son’s heart, O king, with delight.

“Meanwhile, O king, the battle that took place between the Rakshasas and the son of Drona on that night was exceedingly terrible like that between Sakra and Prahlada (in days of old).  Ghatotkacha, filled with rage, struck Drona’s son in the chest with ten powerful shafts fierce as poison or fire.  Deeply pierced with those shafts by the son of Bhimasena, Aswatthaman trembled on the terrace of his car like a tall tree shaken by the tempest.  Once more Ghatotkacha, with a broad-headed shaft, quickly cut off the bright bow that was in the hands of Drona’s son.  The latter, then, taking up another bow capable of bearing of great strain, showered keen arrows (upon his foe) like a cloud pouring torrents of rain.  Then the son of Saradwat’s daughter, O Bharata, sped many sky-ranging and foe-slaying arrows, winged with gold, towards the sky-ranging Rakshasa.  Afflicted with those shafts of Aswatthaman, that vast force of broad-chested Rakshasas looked like a herd of infuriated elephants afflicted by lions.  Consuming with his arrows those Rakshasas with their steeds, drivers, and elephants, he blazed forth like the adorable Agni while consuming creatures at the end of the Yuga.  Having burnt with his shafts a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops, Aswatthaman shone resplendent like the divine Maheswara in heaven after the burning of the triple city.[202] That foremost of victors, viz., Drona’s son, having burnt thy foes, shone brilliantly like the blazing Yuga-fire after having burnt all creatures at the end of the Yuga.  Then Ghatotkacha, filled with rage, urged that vast Rakshasa force on, saying, ‘Slay the son of Drona!’ That command of Ghatotkacha was obeyed by those terrible Rakshasa of bright teeth, large faces, frightful aspects, gaping mouths, long tongues and eyes blazing with wrath.  Causing the earth to be filled with their loud leonine roars, and armed with diverse kinds of