fought Arjuna fiercely and the field was
Srutayudha
strewn with the dead. Finally, he
withdrew defeated and went back to join
Drona's forces.
Savyasachi's car swiftly proceeded
forward and passed Drona. "Illustrious
one, grieving for my son, I have come to
wreak vengeance on the Sindhu king. I
crave your blessings for the fulfilment of
my vow," said Arjuna to the acharya.
The acharya smiled and said: "Arjuna, you
must first fight and defeat me before you
can reach Jayadratha." Saying this Drona
discharged a shower of arrows on Arjuna's
car. Partha also replied with his arrows
but these the acharya parried with ease
and sent flaming shafts that hit Krishna
and Arjuna.
The Pandava then decided to cut Drona's
bow and bent his Gandiva for that
purpose. Even as he was pulling his
bowstring Drona's shaft came and cut the
string.
The acharya, still retaining the smile on
his face, rained a shower of arrows on
Arjuna and his horses and chariot. Arjuna
fought back, but the acharya showered his
arrows that covered Arjuna and his chariot
in darkness.
Krishna saw things were not going at all
well and said: "Partha, no more waste of
time. Let us proceed. It is no use fighting
this brahmana, who seems to know no
fatigue." Saying this, Krishna drove
Arjuna's chariot to the left of the acharya
and proceeded forward.
"Stop, surely you will not proceed without
defeating your enemy," said Drona.
"You are my guru, not my enemy, O
acharya. I am in the position of a son to
you. There is no one in the wide world
that can defeat you," said Arjuna and they
proceeded forward at a swift pace
bypassing Drona.
Then Arjuna pierced the Bhoja army.
Kritavarma and Sudakshina who opposed
his passage were defeated.
also tried to stop Arjuna's progress. There
was a fierce battle in which Srutayudha
lost his horses and he hurled his mace at
Krishna.
His mother had obtained this mace as a
result of her offering but the condition
attached to the boon operated and it came
back and struck Srutayudha himself dead.
This is the story of the mace.
Parnasa went through penances that
pleased Varuna and obtained from that
god a boon that her son Srutayudha may
not be killed by any enemy.
"I shall give your son a divine weapon.
Let him use it in all his battles. No enemy
will be able to defeat him or kill him. But
he should not use the weapon against one
who does not fight. If he does, the weapon
will recoil and kill him. Saying this, god
Varuna gave a mace. Srutayudha, when
fighting Arjuna, disregarding the
injunction, hurled the mace at Krishna
who was not fighting but was only driving
Arjuna's chariot.
The missile hit Janardana's chest and
immediately rebounded fiercely back to
Srutayudha. And like a demon recoiling
fatally on the magician, that commits an
error in uttering the spell of power that
holds it in thrall, it slew Srutayudha and
laid him dead on the field, like a great
forest tree blown down by a storm.
Then the king of Kamboja led his forces
against Arjuna. After a fierce fight, he lay
stretched dead on the field like a great
flagstaff after the festival is over.
When they saw the strong warriors,
Srutayudha and the king of Kamboja,
slain, the Kaurava force was in great
confusion.
Srutayu and his brother Asrutayu then
attacked Partha on both sides trying to
save the situation, and greatly harassed
him. At one stage of this battle, Arjuna