ers also with thick showers
of shafts. At this, the Panchala troops, O king, mangled by means of
those arrowy showers fled away in fear and great affliction. Beholding
the troops turning away from battle and Dhrishtadyumna exceedingly
afflicted, the grandson of Sini quickly urged his car against that of
Drona's son. He then afflicted Aswatthaman with eight keen shafts. And
once more striking that angry warrior with twenty shafts of diverse
kinds, he pierced Aswatthaman's driver, and then his four steeds with
four shafts. With great deliberations and displaying a wonderful
lightness of hand, he cut off Aswatthaman's bow and standard, Satyaki
then cut into fragments the gold-decked car of this foe together with its
steeds. And then he deeply pierced Aswatthaman in the chest with thirty
arrows in that battle. Thus afflicted, O king, (by Satyaki), and shrouded
with arrows, the mighty Aswatthaman knew not what to do. When the
preceptor's son had fallen into that plight, thy son, that car-warrior,
accompanied by Kripa and Karna and others began to cover the Satwata hero
with arrows. All of them began quickly to pierce Satyaki from every side
with keen shafts, Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, Saradwat's son,
Kripa, with three. And Kritavarman pierced him with ten, and Karna with
fifty. And Duhsasana pierced him with a hundred arrows, and Vrishasena
with seven. Satyaki, however, O king, soon made all those great
car-warriors fly away from the field, deprived of their cars. Meanwhile,
Aswatthaman, O bull of Bharata's race, recovering consciousness, and
sighing repeatedly in sorrow, began to think of what he should do. Riding
then upon another car, that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Drona,
began to resist Satyaki, shooting hundreds of arrows. Beholding
Aswatthaman once more approaching him in battle, the mighty car-warrior,
Satyaki, once more made him carless and caused him to turn back. Then
the Pandavas, O king, beholding the prowess of Satyaki, blew their conchs
with great force and uttered loud leonine roars. Having deprived
Aswatthaman of his car thus, Satyaki, of unbaffled prowess, then slew
three thousand mighty car-warriors of Vrishasena's division. And then he
slew fifteen thousand elephants of Kripa's force and fifty thousand
horses of Sakuni. Then, the valiant son of Drona, O monarch, riding upon
another car, and highly enraged with Satyaki, proceeded against the
latter, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him app