читать дальше"Sanjaya said, 'Unto king Duryodhana who said so, Satyaki replied, 'This has always been the usage of the Kshatriyas that they have to fight even against their preceptors. If I am dear to thee, O king, then slay me without any delay. Through thee, O bull of Bharata's race, I shall then enter the region of the righteous. Exhibit, without delay, all thy might and prowess. I do not desire to witness this great calamity of friends.' Having replied and reasoned thus, Satyaki, O monarch, fearlessly and in utter disregard of life, quickly advanced against Duryodhana. Beholding him advance, thy son received him; indeed, O king, thy son poured on him of Sini's race a perfect shower of arrows. Then commenced a terrible battle between those lions of Kuru's and Madhu's races, resembling an encounter between an elephant and a lion. Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, pierced the invincible Satyaki with many keen arrows, shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Satyaki quickly pierced the Kuru prince in return with fifty keen shafts in that battle and once more with twenty, and again with ten shafts. Then, in that encounter, O king, thy son, smiling the while, pierced Satyaki in return with thirty arrows shot from his bowstring drawn to his ear. Shooting then a razor-headed arrow, he cut off in twain the bow, with arrow fixed thereon, of Satyaki. Endued with great lightness of hand, the latter then, taking up a tougher bow, shot showers of shafts at thy son. As those lines of arrows advanced for compassing the death of Duryodhana, the latter, O king, cut them in pieces, at which the troops shouted loudly. With great swiftness, the Kuru king afflicted Satyaki with three and seventy shafts, equipped with wings of gold and steeped in oil and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. All those arrows of Duryodhana, as also his bow, with arrow fixed thereon, Satyaki quickly cut off. The Satwata hero then poured showers of shafts on his antagonist. Deeply pierced by Satyaki and feeling great pain, Duryodhana, O king, in great distress, sought shelter in another car. Having rested awhile and refreshed himself, thy son once more advanced against Satyaki, shooting showers of shafts at the latter's car. Smilingly, O king, Satyaki ceaselessly shot multitudes of shafts at Duryodhana's car.
"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona caused a great carnage among the Panchalas, like the slaughter caused by Sakra himself in rage amongst the Danavas in the days of yore. The great car-warriors of the Pandava army, endued with might and energy, though slaughtered, O king, by Drona's weapons, were not yet afraid of Drona in that battle. Indeed, O monarch, those mighty car-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the Srinjayas, all rushed against Drona himself, for fighting with him. Loud and fierce were the yells they uttered as they rushed towards Drona for encompassing him on all sides and were slaughtered by him with shafts and darts. Beholding the slaughter of the Panchalas in that battle by the illustrious Drona, and seeing his, weapons overwhelm all sides, fear entered the hearts of the Pandavas. Beholding that dreadful carnage of steeds and human beings in that battle, the Pandavas, O monarch, became hopeless of victory. (They began to say unto each other) 'Is it not evident that Drona, that warrior conversant with the mightiest of weapons, will consume us all like a raging conflagration consuming a heap of straw in the season of spring? There is none competent to even look at him in battle. Conversant with the ways of morality, Arjuna (who alone is a match for him) will not fight with him.' Beholding the sons of Kunti afflicted with the shafts of Drona and inspired with fear, Kesava, endued with great intelligence and, devoted to their welfare, addressed Arjuna and said, 'This foremost of all bowmen is incapable of being ever vanquished by force in battle, by the very gods with Vasava at their head. When, however, he lays aside his weapons, he becomes capable of being slain on the field even by human beings. Casting aside virtue, ye sons of Pandu, adopt now some contrivance for gaining the victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not slay us all in battle. Upon the full of (his son) Aswatthaman he will cease to fight, I think. Let sonic man, therefore, tell him that Aswatthaman, hath been slain in battle.' This advice, however, O kin was not approved by Kunti's son, Dhananjaya. Others approved of it. But Yudhishthira accepted it with great difficulty."