And Dhananjaya continued to slay well-decked
horsemen and foot-soldiers of the foe. Indeed, Dhananjaya, resembling the
very Sun as he rises at the end of the Yuga, dried up the samsaptaka
ocean incapable of being dried up easily, by means of keen arrows
constituting his rays. Without losing a moment, the son of Pandu once
more pierced Drona's son resembling a huge hill, with shafts of great
impetuosity and the splendour of the Sun, like the wielder of the
thunderbolt piercing a mountain with the thunder. Desirous of battle, the
preceptor's son then, filled with rage, approached Arjuna for piercing
him and his steeds and drivers by means of his swiftly coursing shafts.
Arjuna, however, quickly cut off the shafts shot at him by Ashvatthama.
The son of Pandu then filled with great wrath, proffered unto
Ashvatthama, that desirable guest, quivers upon quivers of arrows, like a
charitable person offering everything in his house unto a guest. Leaving
the samsaptakas then the son of Pandu rushed towards Drona's son like a
donor abandoning unworthy guests, for proceeding towards one that is
worthy."
17
"Sanjaya said, 'Then occurred that battle between Arjuna and Ashvatthama
resembling the planets Shukra and Brihaspati in splendour, like the
battle between Shukra and Brihaspati in the firmament for entering the
same constellation. Afflicting each other with blazing shafts that
constituted their rays, those terrifiers of the world stood like two
planets both deviating from their orbits.
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