ath not been compassed in battle. Defeat
and death, however, are the same. Rather, defeat is worse than death. Lo,
the enemy, vanquished and compelled to lay down his arms, looks as if
deprived of life". Duryodhana then said, "O preceptor's son, if it be so,
if this weapon cannot be used twice, let those slayers of their preceptor
be slain with other weapons then, O foremost one of all persons
acquainted with weapons! In thee are all celestial as well as in the
Three eyed (Siva) of immeasurable energy. If thou wishest it not, even
Purandara in rage cannot escape thee."

"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Drona had been slain with the aid of fraud,
and the Narayana weapon baffled, what, indeed, did Drona's son, thus
urged by Duryodhana then, do, beholding the Parthas once more arrived for
battle freed from the Narayana weapon, and careering at the head of their
divisions?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Remembering the slaughter of his sire, Drona's son,
owning the device of the lion's tail on his banner, filled with rage and
casting off all fears, rushed against the son of Prishata. Rushing at him,
O bull among men, that foremost of warriors, with great impetuosity,
pierced the Panchala prince with five and twenty small arrows. Then
Dhrishtadyumna, O King, pierced Drona's son that resembled a blazing
fire, with four and sixty shafts. And he pierced Aswatthaman's driver
also with twenty arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold,
and then his four steeds with four sharp arrows. Repeatedly piercing
Drona's son, and causing the earth to tremble with his leonine roars.
Dhrishtadyumna then seemed to be employed in taking the lives of
creatures in the world in dreadful battle. Making death itself his goal,
the mighty son of Prishata, O king, accomplished in weapons and endued
with sureness of aim, then rushed against Drona's son alone. Of
immeasurable soul, that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the prince of
Panchala, poured upon Aswatthaman's head a shower of arrows. Then Drona's
son, in that battle, covered the angry prince with winged shafts. And
once more, he pierced the latter with ten shafts, remembering the
slaughter of his father. Then cutting off the standard and bow of the
Panchala prince with a couple of well-shot shafts, equipped with heads
like razors, Drona's son began to grind his foe with other arrows. In
that dreadful battle, Aswatthaman made his antagonist steedless and
driverless and carless, and covered his follow