The sound of Ashvatthama's bow, inspiring foes with terror, was
repeatedly heard by us in that battle, O king, to resemble that of a
roaring lion. While careering in that battle and striking right and left
the string of his bow looked beautiful like flashes of lightning in the
midst of a mass of clouds. Though endued with great firmness and
lightness of hand the son of Pandu, for all that, beholding the son of
Drona then, became greatly stupefied. Indeed, Arjuna then regarded his
own prowess to be destroyed by his high-souled assailant. The form of
Ashvatthama became such in that battle that men could with difficulty
gaze at it. During the progress of that dreadful battle between Drona's
son and the Pandava, during that time when the mighty son of Drona, O
monarch, thus prevailed over his antagonist and the son of Kunti lost his
energy, Krishna became filled with rage. Inspired with wrath he drew deep
breaths, O king, and seemed to burn with his eyes both Ashvatthama and
Phalguna as he looked at them repeatedly. Filled with rage, Krishna
addressed Partha in an affectionate tone, saying, "This, O Partha, that I
behold in battle regarding thee, is exceedingly strange, since Drona's
son, O Partha, surpasseth thee today! Hast thou not now the energy and
the might of thy arms thou hadst before? Hast thou not that Gandiva still
in thy hands, and dost thou not stay on thy car now? Are not thy two arms
sound? Hath thy fist suffered any hurt? Why is it then that I see the son
of Drona prevail over thee in battle? Do not, O Partha, spare thy
assailant, regarding him as the son of thy preceptor, O bull of Bharata's
race.
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