might, quickly proceeded against
Kshemadhurti, like Mahendra proceeding against the Asura Samvara. Seeing
him rush with great impetuosity, like the Destroyer himself with
wide-open mouth, that mighty bowman viz., Viradhanwan, proceeded against
him with great speed. King Yudhishthira staying there at the head of his
division from desire of victory, was resisted by valiant Drona himself.
Thy son Vikarna, O lord, endued with great prowess, proceeded against the
rushing Nakula of great prowess, that warrior accomplished in battle.
That scorcher of foes, viz., Durmukha, covered the advancing Sahadeva
with many thousands of swiftly-coursing shafts. The heroic Vyughradatta
resisted that tiger among men, viz., Satyaki making him repeatedly
tremble by means of his sharp and keen-pointed shafts. The son of
Somadatta resisted the (five) sons of Draupadi, those tigers among men,
those great car-warriors, wrathfully shooting mighty shafts. That mighty
car-warrior, viz., Rishyasringa's fierce son (the Rakshasa Alamvusha), of
awful mien, resisted the advancing Bhimasena filled with wrath. The
encounter that then took place between that man and Rakshasa resembled, O
king, the battle in days of yore between Rama, and Ravana. Then, O
Bharata, Yudhishthira, that chief of the Bharatas, struck Drona with
ninety straight shafts in all his vital parts. Enraged by the famous son
of Kunti, Drona struck him in return, O chief of the Bharatas, in the
centre of the chest with five and twenty shafts. And once more, in the
very sight of all the bowmen, Drona struck him, with his steeds,
charioteer, and standard, with twenty shafts. Pandu's son, of virtuous
soul, displaying great lightness of hand, baffled with his own arrowy
showers those arrows shot by Drona. Then that great bowman Drona, filled
with rage, cut off the bow of the high souled king Yudhishthira the just.
Then that great car-warrior (viz., the son of Bharadwaja) speedily
covered the bowless Yudhishthira with many thousands of shafts. Beholding
the king made invisible by the shafts of Bharadwaja's son, all thought
that Yudhishthira was dead, and some thought that the king had fled
before Drona. And many cried out, O king, saying, "Alas the king hath
been slain by the high-souled Brahmana." Then, king Yudhishthira the
just, fallen into great distress, having laid aside that bow cut off by
Bharadwaja's son in battle took up another excellent, bright and tougher
bow. And that hero then cut o