Sanjaya said When that Narayana weapon had been invoked into existence, the wind began to blow from opposite directions and peals of thunder were heard though the sky was cloudless.

The earth quaked and the oceans became agitated. The ocean-going stream began to flow in contrary directions.

The crests of mountains, O Bharata, began 10 split up. Diverse animals then passed keeping the son of Pandu to their right.

The veil of darkness spread over the earth.। The sun became dimmed in splendour. Diverse। kinds of flesh-eating animals began to alight on the field of battle.

O Ruler of men, celestials, the Danavas and the Gandharvas all became filled with fear. Seeing then that tremendous agitation in nature, they began to question one another saying, what is the cause of all this?

All the kings became filled with anxiety and inspired with terror, O ruler of men, at the sight of that dreadful weapon of affrighting aspect, belonging to Drona's son.

Dhritarashtra said When unable to brook the slaughter of his sire and overwhelmed with grief, Drona's son did rally the troops.

Tell me, O Sanjaya, what consultation then the Pandavas held for protecting Dhristadyumna, as they saw the Kurus return to the charge.

Sanjaya said At first having seen the Dhartarashtras routed and again beholding them return to the attack Yudhishthira addressing Arjuna said

Yudhishthira said Upon the slaughter of the preceptor Drona by Dhristadyumna like the slaughter of the mighly Asura Vrita by the wielder of thunderbolt.

0 Dhananjaya, the enemy depressed at heart, gave up all hopes of victory. They fled from the field, intent on saving themselves.

Some rulers of men fled on chariots borne along irregular courses, with parshni drivers slain, deprived of standards, streamers and umbrellas, with their boxes and Kuvaras shattered and all their decorations displaced. Others again, panic-struck and deprived of reason, goading the steeds of their chariots with their toes, fled in all haste.

Others overwhelmed with fear, fled on their cars having their axles, wheels and yokes broken. Others fled, hanging half way from their saddles.

Others again displaced from their seats and riveted with shafts on the necks of elephants, were precipitately borne away by those animals. Others were crushed down by flying elephants, mangled and pierced with arrows.

Others with their armours taken off and weapons exhausted fell down on the earth from the back of their animals. Others again were mutilated by car-wheels or crushed by steeds of elephants.

Some loudly calling their sires and their sons fled away in fear, without recognising one another and reduced in energy by grief.

Some causing their sons, fathers, friends and brothers sit (on their vehicles) and doffing their coats of inail were seen to wash them with water.

After the slaughter of Drona, the enemy's host, falling into great distress, fled away in haste. Who hath rallied it now? Tell me if you know it.

The sound of neighing steeds and roaring clephants mangled with the clatter of carwheels in heard aloud.

These terrible sounds in the ocean of Kuru army, are swelling every moment and causing my troops to tremble.

This tremendous sound that is assailing our ears, causing our hair to stand erect, Meseems, will devour up the three worlds with their lords.

I think this to be the tremendous roar of the wielder of the thunder, viz., Vasava, who cnraged at the slaughter of Drona is coming to fight on behalf of the Kauravas.

( Dhananjaya, hearing this loud and terrible sound our hairs stand erect and our best car-warriors are becoming filled with anxiety.

I ask you who is this mighty car-warrior that rallying this terrible and agitated host like the lord of the celestials themselves, is leading it to the charge.

Arjuna said He depending upon whose prowess the Kauravas, having addressed themselves to the accomplishment of ficrce deeds, are blowing their conches and facing us with firmness.

He about whom you entertain doubts as to who he may be who, having rallied the troops of the son of Dhritarashtra, that had fled from the fall of the weaponless Drona, is now uttering terrible roars.

He who is possessed of bashfulness and mighty arms, who has the gait of an infuriate elephant, who possesses a face like that of tiger, who achieves fierce feats and gives assurances of safety to the Kurus,

He, upon whose birth Drona distributed a thousand kine among Brahmanas of highworth, he, Oking, is Ashvatthaman who is thus roaring.

As soon as he was born that hero ncighed like Uchhaisravas and thereby caused the three words to tremble.

Having heard that sound, an invisible being, master, ascribed to him the Ashvatthman, (horse-voiced). That brave warrior, O son of Pandu, is roaring today.

He, who has been slain like one helpless by the son of Prisata, by a cruel and deceitful means, yonder stands the protector of that one. name

The Panchala prince dragged my poor preceptor by the locks of his hair. Certainly Drona's son will not forgive that act of his, aware as he is of his own manliness and resources.

You also, O king, has spoken a lie to the preceptor, being driven to it by the desire for obtaining the kingdom. Conversant with the rules of morality and of pious nature, you have indeed perpetrated a great sin.

Like that hanging in Rama on consequence of his slaying Bali, the infamy hanging on you in consequence of the slaughter of Drona will be cternal in the three worlds with their mobile and immobile creations.

“The son of Pandu is accomplished in all virtues; moreover he is my disciple, he will never tell me a lic.' Thinking this Drona believed what you then said.

You have spoken an uniruth veiled in the garb of truth, to the preceptor, adding the word cicphant thereto.

Thereupon the Puissant Drona, laid his weapons aside and became indifferent to every carthly concern. He was senseless and as you have seen was overwhelmed with a swoon.

It was then that his disciple, transgressing all morality, slew his preceptor, filled with do you you with affection for his son and unwilling to fight and possessed by grief.

Having slain by a deceitful means your preceptor who had laid his weapons aside, now your counsellors, protect the son of Prishata, if indeed, you arc equal to the task.

Today all of us conjointly will not be able to protect the son of Prisata, who has been as it were devoured by the son of Drona, filled with fury on account of his sire's slaughter.

He, who ever treated all creatures with exceeding compassion, even he, hearing that his sire was dragged by the hair will today consume us in battle.

Setting at naught all dictates of morality, the pupil has slaughtered his preceptor, although I exclaimed at the top of my voice, protesting that the preceptor should not be slain.

We have already passed away the greater part of our lives; the lease of life left to us is indeed very short; even that short period is blotted by his sinful act (perpetrated in the maturity of our years).

Drona, in consequence of the affection he cherished for us, was indeed like our father. By the ordinances of the holy texts, he was also our father. Yet such a preceptor of ours has been slain by ourselves, for the sake of enjoying sovereignty for a short period.

Dhritarashtra, O monarch, gave the earth to Bhishma and Drona and what was more, he entrusted them with the lives of his sons.

Though thus esteemed and endowed with such an honorarium by the foe, yet the preceptor looked upon us like his own son.

The preceptor, incapable of suffering any reduction in strength and energy, was only slain in battle, when he believing in your words laid his weapons aside. While engaged in fight even Indra the performer of hundred sacrifices could not have defeated him.

Even such a preceptor, venerable in years and devoted to our welfare, has been injured by ourselves, who have betaken to mean conduct for securing sovereignty.

Alas, alas, what a heinous sin and a ruthless act have we perpetrated, for, tempted by the desire for enjoying the pleasures of sovereignty, we have slain our venerable preceptor.

My preceptor had all along been under the impression, that I, Vasava's son, son, could abandon all, my sires, brothers, sons, wives and even life itself, for his sake, in consequence of the affection I bear for him.

And yet, alas, longing for sovereignty, I have neglected him when he was on the point of being slaughtered. For this act, O king, I have already been condemned to hell, being covered with great ignominy.

It is better that I should die then live, inasmuch as I have today, out of a desire for obtaining sovereignty, suffered my old preceptor to be slain, who was a Brahmana and a great Muni and who moreover had laid his weapons aside at the time.