with eyes like the petals of the lotus, thy birth is
noble and learning great. Of celebrated might and prowess, thou
resemblest Indra himself. Stretching with thy two massive arms the bow
held by thee and whose large string is attached to thy grasp, thou
lookest beautiful like a mass of congregated clouds as thou pourest over
thy foes thick showers of impetuous shafts. I do not see anybody save
myself that can be a match for thee in battle. Alone thou crushest
numerous cars and elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, like the
fearless lion of terrible might crushing herds of deer in the forest.
Making the welkin and the Earth resound with the loud clatter of thy
car-wheels thou lookest resplendent, O king, like a crop-destroying
autumnal cloud of loud roars. Taking out of thy quiver and shooting thy
keen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison fight with myself only,
like (the asura) Andhaka fighting with the three-eyed deity." Thus
addressed, Pandya answered, "So be it." Then Drona's son, telling him
"Strike," assailed him with vigour. In return, Malayadhwaja pierced the
son of Drona with a barbed arrow. Then Drona's son, that best of
preceptors, smiling the while, struck Pandya with some fierce arrows,
capable of penetrating into the very vitals and resembling flames of
fire. Then Ashvatthama once more sped at his foe some other large arrows
equipped with keen points and capable of piercing the very vitals,
causing them to course through the welkin with the ten different kinds of
motion. Pandya, however, with nine shafts of his cut off all those arrows
of his antagonist. With four other shafts he afflicted the four steeds of
his foe, at which they speedily expired. Having then, with his sharp
shafts, cut off the arrows of Drona's son, Pandya then cut off the
stretched bow-string of Ashvatthama, endued with the splendour of the
sun. Then Drona's son, that slayer of foes, stringing his unstringed bow,
and seeing that his men had meanwhile speedily yoked other excellent
steeds unto his car, sped thousands of arrows (at his foe). By this, that
regenerate one filled the entire welkin and the ten points of the compass
with his arrows. Although knowing that those shafts of the high-souled
son of Drona employed in shooting were really inexhaustible, yet Pandya,
that bull among men, cut them all into pieces. The antagonist of
Ashvatthama, carefully cutting off all those shafts shot by the latter,
then slew with his own keen