Ashvatthama also, slaying his enemies, caused a
terrible river of blood to flow there that led to Yama's domains. During
the progress of that fierce and awful battle between Drona's son and
Partha, the combatants fought without showing any regard for one another,
and rushed hither and thither. In consequence of cars having their steeds
and drivers slain, and steeds having their riders slain, and elephants
having their riders and guides slain, an awful carnage, O king, was made
by Partha in that battle! Car-warriors, deprived of life with shafts sped
from Partha's bow, fell down. Steeds freed from their trappings ran
hither and thither. Beholding those feats of Partha, that ornament of
battle, that valiant son of Drona quickly approached the former, that
foremost of victorious men, shook his formidable bow decked with gold,
and then pierced him from every side with many sharp arrows. Once more
bending the bow, O king, the son of Drona cruelly struck Arjuna, aiming
at the chest, with a winged arrow. Deeply pierced by Drona's son, O
Bharata, in that encounter, the wielder of gandiva, that hero of great
intelligence forcibly covered the son of Drona with showers of arrows,
and then cut off his bow. His bow cut off Drona's son then, taking up a
spiked mace whose touch resembled that of thunder's, hurled it, in that
encounter, at the diadem-decked Arjuna. The son of Pandu, however, O
king, as if smiling the while, suddenly cut off that spiked mace decked
with gold, as it advanced towards him.
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