All this seemed exceedingly wonderful.  Having cut off those shafts, O king, Yudhishthira, with eyes red in wrath, took up in that battle a dart, capable of riving even a mountain.  Equipped with a golden staff, of awful mien, having eight bells attached to it, and exceedingly terrible, the mighty Yudhishthira, taking it up, uttered a loud roar.  And with that roar, O Bharata, the son of Pandu inspired all creatures with fear.  Beholding that dart upraised by king Yudhishthira the just, all creatures, as if with one accord, said, ‘Good be to Drona!’ Hurled from the king’s arms, that dart resembling a snake just freed from its slough, coursed towards Drona, illumining the welkin and all the directions cardinal and subsidiary, like a she-snake with fiery mouth, Beholding it coursing towards him impetuously, O king, Drona, that foremost of all persons acquainted with weapons invoked into existence the weapon called Brahma.  That weapon, reducing that dart of terrible mien into dust, coursed towards the car of the illustrious son of Pandu.  Then, O sire, king Yudhishthira of’ great wisdom baffled that weapon of Drona, thus coursing towards him by himself invoking the Brahma weapon.  And then piercing Drona himself in that battle with five straight shafts, he cut off, with a sharp razor-faced shaft, the large bow of Drona.  Then Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, throwing aside that broken bow, hurled with great force, O sire, a mace at the son of Dharma.  Beholding that mace impetuously coursing towards him, Yudhishthira, O chastiser of foes, filled with rage, took up a mace.  Then those two maces, both hurled with great force, encountering each other in mid-air, produced by their collision sparks of fire and then fell down on the earth.  Then Drona, filled with fury, slew, O sire, the steeds of Yudhishthira, with four excellent shafts of keen points.  And with another broad-headed shaft he cut off he king’s bow resembling a pole erected to the honour of Indra.  And with another shaft he cut off the standard of Yudhishthira, and with three he afflicted the Pandava himself.  Then king Yudhishthira, speedily jumping down from that steedless car, stood weaponless and with arms upraised, O bull of Bharata’s race!  Beholding him carless, and especially weaponless, Drona, O lord, stupefied his foes, rather the whole army.  Firmly adhering to his vow, and endued with great lightness of hands, Drona shot showers of sharp shafts and rushed towards the king, like a furious lion towards a deer.  Beholding Drona, that slayer of foes, rush towards him, cries of Oh and Alas suddenly rose from the Pandava army.’  And many cried out, saying, ‘The king is slain by Bharadwaja’s son.’  Loud wails of this kind were heard, O Bharata, among the Pandava troops.  Meanwhile, king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, getting up on the car of Sahadeva, retreated from the field, borne away by swift steeds.’”

SECTION CVI