by roars, deep as those of the clouds, once more occurred
between Drona and the Somakas. That foremost of men, Drona, mounted on
his car of red steeds, and intent on battle rushed against the Pandavas,
with moderate speed. The valiant son of Bharadwaja, that great bowman
endued with mighty strength, that hero born in an excellent pot, engaged
in doing what was agreeable to thee, O king, and striking down, O
Bharata, many foremost of warriors with his whetted arrows, equipped with
beautiful wings, seemed to sport in that battle. Then that mighty
car-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra, irresistible in battle, and
the eldest of five brothers, rushed against him. Shooting many keen
shafts, he greatly afflicted the preceptor, like a mighty mass of clouds
pouring torrents of rain on the mountain of Gandhamadana. Then Drona, O
king, excited with wrath sped at him five and ten shafts whetted on stone
and equipped with wings of gold. The prince of the Kekayas, however,
cheerfully cut off every one of those shafts shot by Drona, and which
resembled angry snakes of virulent poison, with five shafts of his own.
Beholding that lightness of hand displayed by him that bull among
Brahmanas, then, sped at him eight straight shafts. Seeing those shafts
shot from Drona's bow, swiftly coursing towards him, Vrihatkshatra in
that battle resisted them with as many sharp shafts of his. Beholding
that exceedingly difficult feat achieved by Vrihatkshatra, thy troops, O
king, were filled with amazement. Then Drona, O monarch, applauding
Vrihatkshatra, invoked into existence the irresistible and celestial
weapon called Brahma in that battle. The prince of the Kekayas, seeing it
shot by Drona in battle, baffled that Brahma weapon, O monarch, by a
Brahma weapon of his own. After that weapon had been thus baffled,
Vrihatkshatra, O Bharata, pierced the Brahmana with sixty shafts whetted
on stone and equipped with wings of gold. Then Drona, that foremost of
men, pierced the prince of the Kekayas with a powerful shaft which,
penetrating through the latter's armour, (passed through his body and)
entered the earth. As a black cobra, O best of kings, pierces through an
ant-hill, even so did that shaft enter the earth, having pierced through
the body of the Kekaya prince in that battle. Deeply pierced, O monarch,
with the shafts of Drona, the prince of the Kekayas, filled with rage,
and rolling his beautiful eyes, pierced Drona with seventy arrows whetted