on of the
preceptor, what is the use of slaying vulgar combatants. If thou art a
hero, fight then with me in battle. I will slay thee. Wait for a moment
without flying away." Saying thus, Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess struck
the preceptor's son with many keen and terrible arrows capable of
piercing the very vitals. Those swiftly-coursing shafts, equipped with
golden wings and keen points, and capable of piercing the body of every
foe proceeding in a continuous line, penetrated into Aswatthaman's body,
like freely-roaming bees in search of honey entering a flowering tree.
Deeply pierced and swelling with rage, like a trodden snake, the proud
and fearless son of Drona, arrow in hand, addressed his foe, saying, "O
Dhrishtadyumna, wait for moment, without leaving my presence. Soon shall
I despatch thee to Yama's abode with my keen shafts." Having said these
words, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Drona, displaying
great lightness of hands, covered the son of Prishata from every side
with clouds of arrows. Thus covered in that encounter (with arrows) by
Drona's son, the Panchala prince, difficult to defeat in battle, said
"Thou knowest not of my origin, O Brahmana, or of my vow. O thou of
wicked understanding, having first slain Drona himself, I will not,
therefore, slay thee today when Drona himself is still alive. O thou of
wicked understanding, after this night passeth away and bringeth in the
fair dawn, I shall first slay thy sire in battle and then despatch thee
also to the region of Spirits. Even this is the wish entertained by me.
Standing before me, display, therefore, till then, the hatred thou
bearest towards the Parthas, and the devotion thou cherishest for the
Kurus. Thou shalt not escape from me with life. That Brahmana who,
abandoning the practices of a Brahmana, devoteth himself to the practices
of a Kshatriya, becomes slayable by all Kshatriyas even as thou, O lowest
of men." Thus addressed by Prishata's son in language so harsh and
insulting that best of Brahmanas Aswatthaman mustered all his rage and
answered, saying, "Wait, Wait!" And he gazed at Prishata's son apparently
burning him with his eyes. Sighing (in rage) like a snake, the
preceptor's son, then, covered Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (with a
shower of arrows). The mighty-armed son of Prishata, however, that best
of car-warriors, surrounded by all the Panchala troops, though thus
struck with arrows in that encounter by Drona's son,