to achieve that feat). O child, it
behoveth thee, O Abhimanyu, to grant the boon that thy sires, thy
maternal uncles, and all these troops ask of thee. Taking up thy arms
quickly, destroy this array of Drona, else Arjuna, returning from the
fight, will reprove us all."

"'Abhimanyu said, "Desiring victory to my sires, soon shall I in battle
penetrate into that firm, fierce and foremost of arrays formed by Drona.
I have been taught by my father the method of (penetrating and) smiting
this kind of array. I shall not be able, however, to come out if any kind
of danger overtakes me."

"'Yudhishthira said, "Break this array once, O foremost of warriors, and
make a passage for us. All of us will follow thee in the track by which
thou wilt go. In battle, thou art equal to Dhananjaya himself. Seeing
thee enter, we shall follow thee, protecting thee on all sides."

"'Bhima said, "I myself will follow thee, and Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki,
and the Panchalas, and the Prabhadrakas. After the array once is broken
by thee, we will enter it repeatedly and slay the foremost warriors within
it."

"'Abhimanyu said, "I will penetrate into this invincible array of Drona,
like an insect filled with rage entering a blazing fire. Today, I will do
that which will be beneficial to both races (viz., my sire's and my
mother's). I will do that which will please my maternal uncle as also my
mother. Today all creatures will behold large bodies of hostile soldiers
continually slaughtered by myself, an unaided child. If anybody,
encountering me, escapes today with life, I shall not then regard myself
begotten by Partha and born of Subhadra. If on a single car I cannot in
battle cut off the whole Kshatriya race into eight fragments, I will not
regard myself the son of Arjuna."[63]

"'Yudhishthira said, "Since protected by these tigers among men, these
great bowmen endued with fierce might, these warriors that resemble the
Sadhyas, the Rudras, or the Maruts, or are like the Vasus, or Agni or
Aditya himself in prowess, thou venturest to pierce the invincible array
of Drona, and since thou speakest so, let thy strength, O son of Subhadra
be increased."'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu
ordered his charioteer, Sumitra, saying, "Quickly urge the steeds towards
Drona's army."'"

SECTION XXXIV

"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the intelligent Yudhishthira, the
son of Subhadra, O Bharata, urged his chariot