“Meanwhile, Bharadwaja’s son pierced with his winged arrows the king of the Matsyas in battle.  And in that combat he cut off the latter’s standard with one shaft, and his bow also with another.  Then Virata, the commander of a large division, leaving aside that bow thus cut off, quickly took up another that was strong and capable of bearing a great strain.  And he also took up a number of blazing arrows that resembled snakes of virulent poison.  And he pierced Drona in return with three (of these) and his (four) steeds with four.  And then he pierced Drona’s standard with one arrow, and his charioteer with five.  And he also pierced Drona’s bow with one arrow, and (at all this) that bull among Brahmanas became highly angry.  Then Drona slew Virata’s steeds with eight straight shafts, and then his charioteer, O chief of the Bharatas, with one shaft.  His charioteer having been slain, Virata jumped down from his car whose steeds also had been killed.  And then that foremost of car-warriors speedily mounted upon the car of (his son) Sankha.  Then sire and son, staying on the same car, began with great might to resist the son of Bharadwaja with a thick shower of arrows.  Then the mighty son of Bharadwaja, excited with wrath, quickly shot at Sankha in that encounter, an arrow resembling a snake of virulent poison.  And that arrow, piercing through Sankha’s breast and drinking his blood, fell upon the earth, wet and smeared with gore.  Struck with that arrow of Bharadwaja’s son, Sankha speedily fell down from his car, his bow and arrows loosened from his grasp in the very presence of his sire.  And beholding his son slain, Virata fled from fear, avoiding Drona in battle, who resembled Death’s self with gasping mouth.  The son of Bharadwaja then, without losing a moment, checked the mighty host of the Pandavas resisting combatants by hundreds and thousands.

“Sikhandin also, O king, getting at Drona’s son in that battle, struck the latter between his brows with three swiftly coursing shafts.  And that tiger among men, viz., Aswatthaman, pierced with those shafts looked beautiful like the mountain Meru with its three tall golden crests.  Then, O king, Aswatthaman excited with rage, and within half the time taken up by a wink of the eye, overthrew in that battle Sikhandin’s charioteer and standard and steeds and weapons, covering them with myriads of shafts.  Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Sikhandin, that scorcher of foes, jumping down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and taking up a sharp and polished scimitar and a shield, excited with rage, moved on the field with great activity like a hawk.  And while moving with great activity, O king, on the field sword in hand, the son of Drona failed to find an opportunity (for striking him).  And all this seemed highly wonderful.  And then, O bull of Bharata’s race, the highly wrathful son of Drona sent after Sikhandin in that battle many thousands of shafts.  But Sikhandin, that foremost