SECTION CXIV
"Sanjaya said, 'While the (Kuru) host was shaken by the grandson of Sini
in these places (through which he proceeded), the son of Bharadwaja
covered him with a dense shower of arrows. The encounter that then took
place between Drona and Satwata in the very sight of all the troops was
extremely fierce, like that between Vali and Vasava (in days of old).
Then Drona pierced the grandson of Sini on the forehead with three
beautiful arrows made entirely of iron and resembling' snakes of virulent
poison. Thus pierced on the forehead with those straight shafts,
Yuyudhana, O king, looked beautiful like a mountain with three summits.
The son of Bharadwaja always on the alert for an opportunity, then sped
in that battle many other arrows of Satyaki which resembled the roar of
Indra's thunder. Then he of Dasarha's race, acquainted with the highest
weapons, cut off all those arrows shot from Drona's bow, with two
beautifully winged arrows of his. Beholding that lightness of hand (in
Satyaki), Drona, O king, smiling the while, suddenly pierced that bull
among the Sinis with thirty arrows. Surpassing by his own lightness the
lightness of Yuyudhana, Drona, once more, pierced the latter with fifty
arrows and then with a hundred. Indeed, those mangling arrows, O king,
issued from Drona's car, like vigorous snakes in wrath issuing through an
ant-hill. Similarly, blood-drinking arrows shot by Yuyudhana in hundreds
and thousands covered the car of Drona. We did not mark any difference,
however, between the lightness of hand displayed by that foremost of
regenerate ones and that displayed by him of the Satwata race. Indeed, in
this respect, both those bulls among men were equal. Then Satyaki,
inflamed with wrath, struck Drona with nine straight arrows. And he
struck Drona's standard also with many sharp shafts. And in the sight of
Bharadwaja's son, he pierced the latter's driver also with a hundred
arrows. Beholding the lightness of hand displayed by Yuyudhana, the
mighty car-warrior Drona piercing Yuyudhana's driver with seventy shafts,
and each of his (four) steeds with three, cut off with a single arrow the
standard that stood on Madhava's car. With another broad-headed arrow,
equipped with feathers and with wings of gold, he cut off in that battle
the bow of that illustrious hero of Madhu's race. Thereupon, the mighty
car-warrior Satyaki, excited with wrath, laid aside that, taking up a
huge mace, hurled it at the son of Bharadwaja. Drona, however, with many
arrows of diverse forms, resisted that mace, made of iron and twined
round with strings, as it coursed impetuously towards him. Then Satyaki,
of prowess incapable of being baffled, took up another bow and pierced
the heroic son of Bharadwaja with many arrows whetted on stone. Piercing
Drona thereby in that battle, Yuyudhana uttered a leonine shout. Drona,
however, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, was unable to brook
that roar. Taking up a dart made of iron and equipped with golden staff
Drona sped it quickly at the car of Madhava. That dart, however, fatal as
Death, without touching the grandson of Sini, pierced through the
latter's car and entered the earth with a fierce noise. The grandson of
Sini then, O king, pierced Drona with many winged arrows. Indeed,
striking him on the right arm, Satyaki, O bull of Bharata's race,
afflicted him greatly. Drona also, in that battle, O king, cut off the
huge bow of Madhava with a crescent-shaped arrow and smote the latter's
driver with a dart. Struck with that dart, Yuyudhana's driver swooned
away and for a while lay motionless on the terrace of the car. Then, O
Monarch, Satyaki, acting as his own driver, achieved a superhuman feat,
inasmuch as he continued to fight with Drona and hold the reins himself.
Then the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana struck that Brahmana with a hundred
arrows in that battle, and rejoiced exceedingly, O monarch, at the feat
he had achieved. Then Drona, O Bharata, sped at Satyaki five arrows.
Those fierce arrows, piercing Satyaki's armour, drank his blood in that
battle. Thus pierced with those frightful arrows, Satyaki became inflamed
with wrath. In return, that hero shot many shafts at him of the golden
car. Then felling on the earth with a single shaft, the driver of Drona,
he caused next, with his arrows, those driverless steeds of his
antagonist to fly away. Thereupon that car was dragged to a distance.
Indeed, the bright chariot of Drona, O king, began to trace a thousand
circles in the field of battle like a sun in motion. Then all the kings
and princes (of the Kaurava host) made a loud uproar, exclaiming, 'Run,
Rush, Seize the steeds of Drona.' Quickly abandoning Satyaki in that
battle, O monarch, all those mighty car-warriors rushed to the place
where Drona was. Beholding those car-warriors run away afflicted with the
arrows of Satyaki, your troops once more broke down and became exceedingly
cheerless. Meanwhile, Drona, once more proceeding to the gate of the
array, took up his station there, borne away (from Satyaki's presence) by
those steeds, fleet as the wind, that had been, afflicted with the shafts
of the Vrishni hero. The valiant son of Bharadwaja, beholding the array
broken (in his absence) by the Pandavas and the Panchalas, made no
endeavour to follow the grandson of Sini, but employed himself in
protecting his (broken) array. Checking the Pandavas and the Panchalas
then, the Drona fire, blazing up in wrath stayed there, consuming
everything, like the sun that rises at the end of the Yuga.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 114 ---------------------
