attle like a smokeless fire. For the
extermination of the Kshatriya race, he then had recourse to the Brahma
weapon. Then the mighty Bhima, beholding the illustrious and irresistible
prince of the Panchalas carless and weaponless, quickly proceeded towards
him. Beholding him striking at Drona from a near point, that grinder of
foes took up Dhrishtadyumna on his own car and said unto him, "Save thee
there is no other man that can venture to fight with the preceptor. Be
quick to slay him. The burden of his slaughter rests upon thee." Thus
addressed by Bhima, the mighty-armed Dhrishtadyumna speedily took up a
strong, a new and a superb bow capable of bearing a great strain. Filled
with rage, and shooting his arrows in that battle at the irresistible
Drona, Dhrishtadyumna covered the preceptor, desirous of withstanding
him. Those two ornaments of battle then, both foremost of fighters and
both filled with rage, invoked into existence the Brahma and diverse
other celestial weapons. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna covered Drona
with many mighty weapons in that encounter. Destroying all the weapons of
Bharadwaja's son, the Panchala prince, that warrior of unfading glory,
began to slay the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus, that
is, them, who protected Drona in that battle. Indeed, O king, shooting
showers of arrows on all sides, Dhrishtadyumna at that time looked
resplendent like the sun himself shedding his thousands of rays. Drona,
however, once more cut off the prince's bow and pierced the vitals of the
prince himself with many arrows. Thus pierced, the prince felt great
pain. Then Bhima, of great wrath, holding the car of Drona, O monarch,
slowly said these words unto him: "If wretches amongst Brahmanas,
discontented with the avocations of their own order, but well-versed in
arms, did not fight, the Kshatriya order then would not have been thus
exterminated. Abstention from injury to all creatures hath been said to
be the highest of all virtues. The Brahmana is the root of that virtue.
As regards thyself, again, thou art the foremost of all persons
acquainted with Brahma. Slaying all those Mlecchas and other warriors,
who, however, are all engaged in the proper avocations of their order,
moved thereto by ignorance and folly, O Brahmana, and by the desire of
wealth for benefiting sons and wives; indeed, for the sake of an only
son, why dost thou not feel ashamed? He for whom thou hast taken up
weapons, and for who