to afflict in battle the unslayable with it, is himself exceedingly afflicted by it![259]’—­My sire thus received that weapon.  Then Lord Narayana, addressing myself also, said, ’With the aid of this weapon, thou too shalt pour diverse showers of celestial weapons in battle and blaze with energy in consequence of it.  Having said these words, the divine Lord ascended to heaven.  Even this is the history of the Narayana weapon which has been obtained by my sire’s son.  With that I will rout and slay the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Matsyas, and the Kaikeyas, in battle, like Sachi’s lord routing and slaying the Asuras.  My shafts, O Bharata, will fall upon the contending foes, in those particular forms which I shall wish them to assume.  Staying in battle, I will pour showers of weapons as I desire.  I will rout and slay all the foremost of car warriors with sky-ranging arrows of iron-points.  Without doubt, I will shower innumerable battle-axes upon the foe.  With the mighty Narayana weapon, a scorcher of foes that I am, I will destroy the Pandavas, causing an immense carnage amongst them.  That wretch amongst the Panchalas, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna), who is an injurer of friends and Brahmanas and of his own preceptor, who is a deceitful wretch of the most reprehensible conduct, shall never escape from me today with life.’  Hearing these words of Drona’s son, the (Kuru) army rallied.  Then many foremost of men blew their gigantic conchs.  And filled with delight, they beat their drums and dindimas by thousands.  The earth resounded with loud noises, afflicted with the hoofs of steeds and the wheels of cars.  That loud uproar made the earth, and the firmament also echo with it.  Hearing that uproar, deep as the roll of the clouds, the Pandavas, those foremost of car-warriors, uniting together, took counsel of one another.  Meanwhile, Drona’s son, having said those words, O Bharata, touched water and invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana.’”

SECTION CXCVII

“Sanjaya said, ’When the weapon called Narayana was invoked, violent winds began to blow with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heard although the sky was cloudless.  The earth trembled, and the seas swelled up in agitation.  The rivers began to run in a contrary course.  The summits of mountains, O Bharata, began to split.  Diverse animals began to pass by the left side of the Pandavas.[260] Darkness set in, the sun became obscure.  Diverse kinds of carnivorous creatures began to alight on the field in joy.  The gods, the Danavas, and the Gandharvas, O monarch, all became inspired with fear.  Beholding that tremendous agitation (in nature), all began to ask one another loudly about its cause.  Indeed, seeing that fierce and terrible weapon invoked by Drona’s son, all the kings, inspired with fear, felt great pain.’

“Dhritarashtra said, ’Tell me, O Sanjaya, what counsel was adopted by the Pandavas for the protection of Dhrishtadyumna when they saw the Kauravas once more advance to battle, rallied by Drona’s son who was scorched by grief and unable to brook the slaughter of his sire?’