It was for this, O Dhananjaya, that Drona could be
slain by the son of Prishata. What other Kshatriya, save thee, could in
battle achieve such feats for compassing the slaughter of Jayadratha.
Checking the vast (Kaurava) army and slaying many brave kings, thou
killedest king Jayadratha, aided by the might and energy of thy weapons.
All the kings regarded the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus to have
been exceedingly wonderful. I, however, do not regard it so; thou didst
it and thou art a great car-warrior. If this vast assemblage of
Kshatriyas, obtaining thee as a foe, suffer extermination in course of
even a whole day, I should, I think, still regard these Kshatriyas to be
truly mighty. When Bhishma and Drona have been slain, the terrible
Dhartarashtra host, O Partha, may be regarded to have lost all its
heroes. Indeed, with all its foremost warriors slain, with its steeds,
cars, and elephants destroyed, the Bharata army looketh today like the
firmament, reft of the Sun, the Moon, and stars. Yonder host of fierce
prowess, O Partha, hath been shorn of its splendours today like the Asura
host in days of yore shorn of its splendours by Sakra's prowess. The
remnant of that grand master now consists of only five great
car-warriors, viz., Ashvatthama, Kritavarma, Karna, Shalya, and Kripa.
Slaying those five great car-warriors today, O tiger among men, be thou a
hero that hath killed all his foes, and bestow thou the Earth with all
her islands and cities on king Yudhishthira.
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