“Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, piercing Drona with three arrows, quickly cut off the latter’s bowstring with a sharp arrow.  Throwing down that bow on the earth, heroic Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, took up another that was exceedingly tough and strong.  Piercing Dhrishtadyumna then with five arrows, Drona pierced his driver also, O bull of Bharata’s race, with five arrows.  Checking Drona with his arrows, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna began to destroy the Kaurava host, like Maghavat destroying the Asura army.  During the slaughter of thy son’s army, O sire, a terrible river, having blood for its current, began to flow.  And it ran between the two hosts, bearing away men and steeds and elephants along its current.  And it resembled, O king, the Vaitarani that flows, O lord, towards the domains of Yama.  Agitating and routing thy army, the valiant Dhrishtadyumna, endued with great energy, blazed forth like Sakra in the midst of the celestials.  Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin blew their large conchs, as also the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and Vrikodara, the son of Pandu.  Thus those fierce warriors, vanquished thousands of kings; on thy side that were endued with great energy, at the sight of thy Son and of Karna and the heroic Drona and Drona’s son, O monarch!’”

SECTION CLXXII

“Sanjaya said, ’Beholding his own army routed while being slaughtered by those illustrious heroes, thy son, well-acquainted with words, O monarch, quickly repairing unto Karna and Drona, that foremost of all victors in battle, wrathfully said these words, ’This battle has been set on foot by you two in rage, having seen the ruler of the Sindhus slain by Savyasachin.  You are beholding with indifference the slaughter of my army by the forces of the Pandavas, although you two are fully competent to vanquish those forces.  If you two now abandon me, you should have, in the beginning, told me of it, ’We two shall vanquish the sons of Pandu in battle.’  Even these were the words, ye givers of honours, that ye then said unto me.  Hearing these words of yours, I sanctioned these proceedings.  I would never have provoked these hostilities with the Parthas,—­hostilities that are so destructive of heroic combatants (if ye had told me otherwise).  If I do not deserve to be abandoned by you two, ye bulls among men, then fight according to the true measure of your prowess, ye heroes endued with great prowess.’  Thus pierced by the goad of speech of thy son, those two heroes once more engaged in battle, like two snakes vexed with sticks.  Then those two foremost of car-warriors, those two bowmen above all bowmen in the world, rushed with speed against the Parthas headed by the grandson of Sini and by others.  Similarly, the Parthas uniting together, and accompanied by all their troops, advanced against those two heroes, who were roaring repeatedly.  Then the great bowman, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, excited