pons. During the progress
of that battle the Dhartarashtras began to be thinned. Seeing this, thy
sire, filled with rage, invoked into existence a celestial weapon.
Indeed, Drona, that bull among men, having invoked the Brahma weapon,
slew his enemies with broad-headed arrows, by hundreds, and
thousands.[256] Urged by fate, the Pandavas, the Kaikeyas, the Matsyas,
and the Panchalas, O foremast of regenerate ones, approaching Drona's
car, began to perish. With his Brahma weapon, Drona despatched unto
Yama's abode a thousand brave warriors and two thousand elephants. Of a
dark complexion, with his gray locks hanging down to his ears, and full
five and eighty years old, the aged Drona used to careen in battle like a
youth of sixteen, When the enemy's troops were thus afflicted and the
kings were being slain, the Panchalas, though filled with desire of
revenge, turned back from the fight. When the enemy, turning back,
partially lost their order, that vanquisher of foes, (viz., Drona),
invoking celestial weapons into existence, shone resplendent like the
risen sun. Indeed, thy valiant sire, getting into the midst of the
Pandavas, and having arrows for the rays that emanated from him,
resembled the midday sun at whom none could gaze. Scorched by Drona, as
if by the blazing sun, they became cheerless and deprived of their energy
and senses. Beholding them thus afflicted by Drona with his shafts, the
slayer of Madhu, desirous of victory to the son of Pandu, said these
words: 'Truly, this foremost of all wielders of arms, this leader of the
leaders is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the slayer of
Vritra himself. Ye sons of Pandu, laying aside righteousness, take care
of victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not slay all of you in
battle. I think he will not fight after the fall of Aswatthaman. Let some
man falsely tell him that Aswatthaman has been slain in battle.' Hearing
these words Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, approved them not. The advice,
however, met with the approval of all others, and even of Yudhishthira
with some difficulty. Then, Bhimasena, with a tinge of bashfulness, said
unto thy sire, 'Aswatthaman hath been slain.' Thy sire, however, did not
believe him. Suspecting the intelligence to be false, thy father, so
affectionate towards thee, enquired of Yudhishthira as to whether thou
wert really dead or not. Afflicted with the fear of a lie, solicitous at
the same time of victory, Yudhishthira, beholding a