DRONABHISHEKA PARVA: Chapter 8

The audition of the account of Drona's death

संजय उवाच तथा द्रोणमभिनन्तं साश्वसूतरथद्विपान्। व्यथिताः पाण्डवा दृष्ट्वा न चैनं पर्यवारयन्॥
Sanjaya said Seeing Drona thus destroy their horses, drivers, cars and elephants the Pandavas were greatly afflicted and could not check his career.

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा धृष्टद्युम्नधनंजयौ। अब्रवीत् सर्वतो यत्तैः कुम्भयोनिर्निवार्यताम्॥
Thereupon king Yudhishthira said Dhrishtadyumna and Dhananjaya, "Check the carrier of the pot-born Drona by surrounding him with great heed.

तत्रैनमर्जुनश्चैव पार्षतश्च सहानुगः। प्रत्यगृह्णात् ततः सर्वे समापेतुर्महारथाः॥
to Thereupon the mighty car-warriors namely Arjuna and the son of Prishata together with their followers, encompassed Drona, as he was rushing at them.

केकया भीमसेनश्च सौभद्रोऽथ घटोत्कचः। युधिष्ठिरो यमौ मत्स्या द्रुपदस्यात्मजास्तथा॥ द्रौपदेयाश्च संहृष्टा धृष्टकेतुः ससात्याकिः। चेकितानश्च संक्रुद्धो युयुत्सुश्च महारथः॥ ये चान्ये पार्थिवा राजन् पाण्डवस्यानुयायिनः। कुलवीर्यानुरूपाणि चक्रुः कर्माण्यनेकशः॥
The Kekayas, Bhimasena, the son of Subhadra, Ghatotkacha, Yudhishthira the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, the king of the Matsyas the son of Drupada and the five son of Draupadi greatly delighted and Dhristaketu along with Satyaki, the wrathful Chekitana, the Yuyutsu the mighty car-warrior and, O monarch, all the other rulers of earth who followed the Pandavas in battle, achieved many feats (of valour), in accordance with their prowess and nobility of birth.

संरक्ष्यमाणां तां दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवैर्वाहिनीं रणे। व्यावृत्य चक्षुषी कोपाद् भारद्वाजोऽन्ववैक्षत॥
Seeing the Pandavas protect their army in battle, the son of Bharadvaja, rolling his eyes in anger, cast his glances (on the army).

स तीव्र कोपमास्थाय रथे समरदुर्जयः। व्यधमत् पाण्डवानीकमभ्राणीव सदागतिः॥
Working himself up with ire, that one (Drona), indomitable in war, seated on his chariot, blew the Pandava host off like the storm blowing thick clouds off.

रथानश्वान् नरान् नागानभिधावन्नितस्ततः। चचारोन्मत्तवद् द्रोणोवृद्धोऽपि तरुणो यथा॥
Charging cars, steed, men and elephants on all sides, Drona roamed in the field like one insane and though grown up in years, he resembled one endued with the energy of youth.

तस्य शोणितदिग्धाङ्गा शोणास्ते वातरंहसः। आजानेया हया राजन्नविश्रान्ता ध्रुवं ययुः॥
O monarch, his horses, of chestnut colour, of excellent breed, of wind-like speed, and of indefatigable energy, assumed a beautiful appearance being bespattered with blood.

तमन्तकमिव क्रुद्धमापतन्तं यतव्रतम्। दृष्टा सम्प्राद्रवन् योधाः पाण्डवस्य ततस्ततः॥
Beholding that one of regulated vows rush at them like the god of Death enraged, all the warriors of the Pandavas sped on all directions.

तेषां प्राद्रवतां भीमः पुनरावर्ततामपि। पश्यतां तिष्ठतां चासीच्छब्दः परमदारुणः॥
As some fled and some rallied and some looked at Drona, and some stood on the field, the noise (of the confusion) they caused was dreadful and deafening.

शूराणं हर्षजननो भीरूणां भयवर्धनः। द्यावापृथिव्योर्विवरं पूरयामास सर्वतः॥
That noise that imparted delight to the heroes and enhanced the terrors of the cowards, filled the whole interval between the earth and the skies.

ततः पुनरपि द्रोणो नाम विश्रावयन् युधि। अकरोद् रौद्रमात्मानं किरञ्छरशतैः परान्॥
And again did Drona, shouting forth his own name, made himself terrible in battle by piercing his enemies with hundreds of arrows.

स तथा तेष्वनीकेषु पाण्डुपुत्रस्य मारिष। कालवद् व्यचरद् द्रोणो युवेव स्थविरो बली॥
O sire, then the mighty Drona careered fiercely amid the army of the sons of Pandu, like the god of Death himself; and he appeared like one young, though bearing the weight of years.

उत्कृत्य च शिरांस्युग्रान् बाहूनपि सुभूषणान्। कृत्वा शून्यान् रथोपस्थानुदक्रोशन्महारथान्॥
Severing down many heads as well as arms decorated with ornaments and rendering the seats of many a car empty, he sent up terrific roars.

तस्य हर्षप्रणादेन बाणवेगेन वा विभो। प्राकम्पन्त रणे योधा गाव: शीतार्दिता इव॥
In consequence of his rapturous roars and of the fleetness of his arrows, O master, the warriors began to shake in battle, like kine shivering with cold.

द्रोणस्य रथघोषेण मौर्वीनिप्पेषणेन च। धनुः शब्देन चाकाशे शब्दः समभवन्महान्॥
A terrible sound caused by the rattle of Drona's chariot, by the contraction and stretching of his bow-string and by the twang of his bow, filled the conclave dome.

अथास्य धनुषो बाणा निश्चरन्तः सहस्रशः। व्याप्य सर्वा दिश: पेतुर्नागाश्वरथपत्तिषु ॥
Thousands of arrows not shot from his bow fell, covering cardinal points, upon the elephants, steeds, chariots and foot-soldiers (of the hostile array).

तं कार्मुकमहावेगमस्त्रज्वलितपावकम्। द्रोणमासादयांचक्रुः पञ्चालाः पाण्डवैः सह॥
Then the Pandavas along with the Panchalas, rushed at Drona wielding a bow of great strength and resembling a blazing fire in consequence of his weapons.

तान् सकुञ्जरपत्त्यश्वान् प्राहिणोद् यमसादनम्। चक्रेऽचिरेण च द्रोणो महीं शोणित कर्दमाम्॥
Then he began to dispatch them with their elephants, steeds and foot-soldiers to the regions of Death; and within a short while Drona made the earth muddy with blood.

तन्वता परमास्त्रणि शरान् सततमस्यता। द्रोणेन विहितं दिक्षु शरजालमदृश्यत॥
A net-work of arrows, woven by Drona who had been scattering celestial weapons and shooting shafts on all sides, was seen to over shroud the cardinal points.

पदातिषु रथाश्वेषु वारणेषु च सर्वशः। तस्य विद्युदिवाभ्रेषु चरन् केतुरदृश्यत॥
Like flashes of lightning amid dense masses of clouds, his standard could be seen whirling amongst foot-soldiers, chariots, horses and carwarriors.

स केकयानां प्रवरांश्च पञ्च पञ्चालराजं च शरैः प्रमथ्य। युधिष्ठिरानीकमदीनसत्त्वो द्रोणोऽभ्ययात् कार्मुकबाणपाणिः॥
Afflicting with arrows the five foremost among the Kekayas and the king of the Panchadas,' Drona, of irrepressible vigour, armed with a bow and arrows, charged the division commanded by Yudhishthira.

तं भीमसेनश्च धनंजयश्च शिनेश्च नप्ता द्रुपदात्मजश्चा शैव्यात्मजः काशिपतिः शिबिश्च दृष्ट्वा नदन्तो व्यकिरछरौघैः॥
Thereupon, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya and the grandson of sini and the sons of Drupada and the son of Saibya, the ruler of the Kasis and Sibi himself, greatly delighted and sending up loud shouts, covered Drona with a stream of shafts.

तेषामथ द्रोणधनुर्विमुक्ताः पतत्रिणः काञ्चनचित्रपुङ्खाः। भित्त्वा शरीराणि गजाश्वयूनां जग्मुर्महीं शोणितदिग्धवाजाः॥
Then numerous arrows shot from the bow of Drona and adorned with golden wings, piercing through the bodies of elephants and young steeds, stuck themselves on the ground, with feathers crimson with blood.

सा योधसंधैश्च रथैश्च भूमिः शरैर्विभिन्नैर्गजवाजिभिश्च। प्रच्छाद्यमाना पतितैर्बभूव समावृता द्यौरिव कालमेघैः॥
Then the field of battle, being covered over with fallen bands of warriors, (shattered) chariots and carcasses of elephants and horses mangled with arrows, appeared like the firmament overhung with dense masses of black clouds.

शैनेयभीमार्जुनवाहिनीशं सौभद्रपाञ्चालसकाशिराजम्। अन्यांश्च वीरान् समरे ममर्द द्रोणः सुतानां तव भूतिकामः॥
Then Drona desirous of the prosperity of your sons, having in battle trampled down the divisions led by the grandson of Sini, Bhima and Arjuna and having crushed the son of Subhadra and the king of the Panchalas and the ruler of the Kasis and many other warriors.

एतानि चान्यानि च कौरवेन्द्र कर्माणि कृत्वा समरे महात्मा। प्रताप्य लोकानिव कालसूर्यो द्रोणो गतः स्वर्गमितो हि राजन्॥
And having achieved these and other wondrous feats in battle, O foremost among the Kurus, that high-souled one, Drona, left this world for heaven, after having consumed this earth like the sun that rises at the time of the world's annihilations, O monarch.

एवं रुक्मरथः शूरो हत्वा शतसहस्रशः। पाण्डवानां रणे योधान् पार्षतेन निपातितः॥ अक्षौहिणीमभ्यधिकां शूराणामनिवर्तिनाम्। निहत्य पश्चाद् धृतिमानगच्छत् परमां गतिम्॥ पाण्डवैः सह पञ्चालैरशिवैः क्रूरकर्मभिः। हतो रुक्मरथो राजन् कत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्॥ ततो निनादो भूतानामाकाशे समजायत। सैन्यानां च ततो राजन्नाचार्ये निहते युधि॥ द्यां धरां खं दिशो वापि प्रदिशश्चानुनादयन्। अहोधिगिति भूतानां शब्दः समभवद् भृशम्॥ देवताः पितरश्चैव पूर्वे ये चास्य बान्धवाः। ददृशुनिहतं तत्र भारद्वाजं महारथम्॥ पाण्डवास्तु जयं लब्ध्वा सिंहनादान् प्रचक्रिरे। सिंहनादेन महता समकम्पत मेदिनी॥
Having achieved these great feats of valour, that chastiser of hostile armies, that possessor of a golden car, that hero, who had killed in battle hundreds of thousands of the soldiers of the Pandavas, was himself slain by the son of Prishata. Having slain more than Akshauhini of unreturning heroes, that Drona of (unrivaled) intelligence, at last attained to the highest state of existence. O monarch, having achieved these most difficult feats, that one of a golden car was slain by the Pandavas and the Panchalas of inauspicious and heartless of deeds. When the preceptor was slain in battle, o king, a loud roar of all creatures as two also of the warriors filled the sky. The loud cry of 'O fie' uttered by creatures arose in the welkin resounding through the earth, the heavens and the interval between them and the cardinal and the subsidiary quarters. Then all the celestials and the Pitris and the friend of the mighty car-warrior Bharadvaja (Drona), saw him slain in battle. The son of Pandu having obtained victory gave forth roars resembling those of a lion; and the (foundation of) the carth shook with those loud leonine roars of theirs.