lustrious Drona caused a river to flow there that was fierce and
capable of striking the timid with fear. Coats of mail formed its waves,
and standards its eddies. And it carried away (as it ran) large numbers
of mortal creatures. And elephants and steeds constituted its great
alligators, and swords formed its fishes. And it was incapable of being
easily crossed over. The bones of brave warriors formed its pebbles, and
drums and cymbals its tortoises. And shields and armour formed its boats,
and the hair of warriors its floating moss and weeds. And arrows
constituted its wavelets and bows its current. And the arms of the
combatants formed its snakes.[40] And that river of fierce current,
running over the field of battle, bore away both the Kurus and the
Srinjayas. And the heads of human beings, constituted its stones, and
their thighs its fishes. And maces constituted the rafts (by which many
sought to cross it). And head-gears formed the forth that covered its
surface, and the entrails (of animals) its reptiles. Awful (in mien), it
bore away heroes (to the other world). And blood and flesh constituted
its mire. And elephants formed its crocodiles, and standards, the trees
(on its banks). Thousands of Kshatriyas sank in it. Fierce, clogged with
(dead) bodies, and having horse-soldiers and elephant-warriors for its
sharks, it was extremely difficult to cross it. And that river ran
towards the abode of Yama. And it abounded with Rakshasas and dogs and
jackals. And it was haunted by fierce cannibals all around.

"'Then many Pandava warriors, headed by Kunti's son, rushing at Drona,
that mighty car-warrior consuming their divisions like Death himself,
surrounded him on all sides. Indeed, those brave warriors completely
encompassed Drona who was scorching everything around him like the sun
himself scorching the world with his rays. Then the kings and the princes
of thy army, with upraised weapons, all rushed for supporting that hero
and great bowman. Then Sikhandin pierced Drona with five straight arrows.
And Kshatradharman pierced him with twenty arrows, and Vasudeva with
five. And Uttamaujas pierced him with three arrows, and Kshatradeva with
five. And Satyaki pierced him in that battle with a hundred arrows, and
Yudhamanyu with eight. And Yudhishthira pierced Drona with a dozen
shafts, and Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with ten, and Chekitana with
three. Then Drona, of unbaffled aim and resembling an elephant with rent
temple