d with wings of gold. That excellent
and fierce shaft, shot by the mighty grandson of Sini, quickly fell like
a hawk, O Lord, upon the chest of Somadatta. Deeply pierced by the mighty
Satwata, the great car-warrior Somadatta, O monarch, fell down (from his
car) and expired. Beholding the great car-warrior Somadatta slain there,
thy warriors with a large throng of cars rushed against Yuyudhana.
Meanwhile, the Pandava also, O king, with all the Prabhadrakas and
accompanied by a large force, rushed against Drona's army. Then
Yudhishthira, excited with wrath, began, with his shafts, to strike and
rout the troops of Bharadwaja's son at the very sight of the latter.
Beholding Yudhishthira thus agitating his troops, Drona, with eyes red in
wrath, furiously rushed against him. The preceptor, then pierced the son
of Pritha with seven keen arrows. Yudhishthira, in return, excited with
wrath, pierced the preceptor with five arrows. Deeply pierced by the son
of Pandu, the mighty bowman (Drona), licking the corners of his mouth for
a moment, cut off both the standard and the bow of Yudhishthira. With
great speed, at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence, that
best of kings, whose bow had been cut off, took up another bow that was
sufficiently tough and hard. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona with his
steeds, driver, standard, and car, with a thousand arrows. All this
seemed exceedingly wonderful. Afflicted with the strokes of those arrows
and feeling great pain, Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, sat down for a
while on the terrace of his car. Recovering his senses, sighing like a
snake, and filled with great rage, the preceptor invoked into existence
the Vayavya weapon. The valiant son of Pritha, bow in hand, fearlessly
baffled that weapon with a similar weapon of his in that encounter. And
the son of Pandu also cut in two fragments the large bow of the Brahmana.
Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, took up another bow. That bull of
Kuru's race, Yudhishthira, cut off that bow also, with many keen shafts.
Then Vasudeva, addressing Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, said, "Listen,
O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, to what I say. Cease, O best of the
Bharatas, to fight with Drona. Drona always striveth to seize thee in
battle. I do not think it fit that thou shouldst fight with him. He who
hath been created for Drona's destruction will, without doubt, slay him.
Leaving the preceptor, go where king Suyodhana is. Kings should fight