“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Beholding the Pandavas and the son of
Dhritarashtra accomplished in arms, Drona thought the time had come when
he could demand the preceptorial fee. And, O king, assembling his pupils
one day together, the preceptor Drona asked of them the fee, saying,
‘Seize Drupada, the king of Panchala in battle and bring him unto me.
That shall be the most acceptable fee.’ Those warriors then answering,
‘So be it’, speedily mounted up on their chariots, and for bestowing upon
their preceptor the fee he had demanded, marched out, accompanied by him.
Those bulls among men, smiting the Panchalas on their way, laid siege to
the capital of the great Drupada. And Duryodhana and Karna and the mighty
Yuyutsu, and Duhsasana and Vikarna and Jalasandha and Sulochana,--these
and many other foremost of Kshatriya princes of great prowess, vied with
one another in becoming the foremost in the attack. And the princes,
riding in first class chariots and following the cavalry, entered the
hostile capital, and proceeded along the streets.
“Meanwhile, the king of Panchala, beholding that mighty force and hearing
its loud clamour, came out of his palace, accompanied by his brothers.
Though king Yajnasena was well-armed, the Kuru army assailed him with a
shower of arrows, uttering their war-cry. Yajnasena, however, not easy to
be subdued in battle, approaching the Kurus upon his white chariot, began
to rain his fierce arrows around.
“Before the battle commenced, Arjuna, beholding the pride of prowess
displayed by the princes, addressed his preceptor, that best of
Brahmanas, Drona, and said, ‘We shall exert ourselves after these have
displayed their prowess. The king of Panchala can never be taken on the
field of the battle by any of these. Having said this, the sinless son of
Kunti surrounded by his brothers, waited outside the town at a distance
of a mile from it. Meanwhile Drupada beholding the Kuru host, rushed
forward and pouring a fierce shower of arrows around, terribly afflicted
the Kuru ranks. And such was his lightness of motion on the field of
battle that, though he was fighting unsupported on a single chariot, the
Kurus from panic supposed that there were many Drupadas opposed to them.
And the fierce arrows of that monarch fell fast on all sides, till conchs
and trumpets and drums by thousands began to be sounded by the Panchalas
from their houses (giving the alarm). Then there arose from the mighty
Panchala host a roar terrible as that of the lion, while the twang of
their bow-strings seemed to rend the very heavens. Then Duryodhana and
Vikarna, Suvahu and Dirghalochana and Duhsasana becoming furious, began
to shower their arrows upon the enemy. But the mighty bowman, Prishata’s
son, invincible in battle, though very much pierced with the arrows of
the enemy, instantly began, O Bharata, to afflict the hostile ranks with
greater vigour. And careering over the field of battle like a fiery