"Sanjaya said, 'On that table land at the foot of Himavat, those
warriors, O monarch, delighting at the prospect of battle and assembled
together, passed the night. Indeed, Shalya and Chitrasena and the mighty
car-warrior Shakuni and Ashvatthama and Kripa and Kritavarma of the
Satwata race, and Sushena and Arishtasena and Dhritasena of great energy
and Jayatsena and all these kings passed the night there. After the
heroic Karna had been slain in battle, thy sons, inspired with fright by
the Pandavas desirous of victory, failed to obtain peace anywhere else
than on the mountains of Himavat. All of them then, O king, who were
resolved on battle, duly worshipped the king and said unto him, in the
presence of Shalya, these words, "It behoveth thee to fight with the
enemy, after having made some one the generalissimo of thy army,
protected by whom in battle we will vanquish our foes." Then Duryodhana,
without alighting from his car (proceeded towards) that foremost of
car-warriors, that hero conversant with all the rules of battle
(Ashvatthama), who resembled the Destroyer himself in battle. Possessed
of beautiful limbs, of head well covered, of a neck adorned with three
lines like those in a conch shell, of sweet speech, of eyes resembling
the petals of a full blown lotus, and of a face like that of the dignity
of Meru, resembling the bull of Mahadeva as regards neck, eyes, tread,
and voice, endued with arms that were large, massive, and well-joined,
having a chest that was broad and well-formed, equal unto Garuda or the
wind in speed and might, gifted with a splendour like that of the rays of
the Sun, rivalling Usanas himself in intelligence and the Moon in beauty
and form and charms of face, with a body that seemed to be made of a
number of golden lotuses, with well-made joints, of well-formed thighs
and waist and hips, of beautiful fingers, and beautiful nails, he seemed
to have been made by the Creator with care after collecting one after
another all the beautiful and good attributes of creation. Possessed of
every auspicious mark, and clever in every act, he was an ocean of
learning. Ever vanquishing his foes with great speed, he was incapable of
being forcibly vanquished by foes. He knew, in all its details, the
science of weapons consisting of four padas and ten angas. He knew also
the four Vedas with all their branches, and the Akhyanas as the fifth.
Possessed of great ascetic merit, Drona, himself not born of woman