The illustrious son
of Drona mangled the backs of some, cut off the heads of some, and caused
some to turn away from the fight. And he cut off some at the middle, and
lopped off the ears of others, and struck others on the shoulders, and
pressed down the heads of some into their trunks.
As Ashvatthama careered in this way, slaughtering thousands of men, the
deep night became more terrible in consequence of the darkness that set
in. The earth became terrible to behold, strewn with thousands of human
beings dead and dying and innumerable steeds and elephants. Cut off by
the enraged son of Drona, his foes fell down on the earth that was then
crowded with yakshas and rakshasas, and frightful with (broken) cars and
slain steeds and elephants. Some called upon their brothers, some upon
their sires, and some upon their sons. And some said, "The Dhartarashtras
in rage could never accomplish such feats in battle as these which
rakshasas of wicked deeds are achieving (upon us) during the hour of
sleep! It is only in consequence of the absence of the Parthas that this
great slaughter is going on. That son of Kunti, who hath Janardana for
his protector, is incapable of being vanquished by gods, asuras,
gandharvas, yakshas and rakshasas! Devoted to Brahma, truthful in speech,
self-restrained, and compassionate towards all creatures, that son of
Pritha, called Dhananjaya, never slaughters one that is asleep, or one
that is heedless, or one that has laid aside his weapons or one that has
joined his hands in supplication, or one that is retreating, or one whose
locks have been dishevelled.
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