The Death of Asvatthama From the Mahābhārata, VII.164.65-165.46

Beholding the slaughter of the Panchalas in said what was untrue. Hearing those highly that battle by the illustrious Drona, and disagreeable words of Bhima and reflecting seeing his weapons overwhelm all sides, upon them, Drona's limbs seemed to fear entered the hearts of the Pandavas. dissolve like sands in water. Recollecting Beholding that dreadful carnage of steeds however, the prowess of his son, he soon and human beings in that battle, the came to regard that report as false. Hearing, Pandavas became hopeless of victory. They therefore, of his slaughter, Drona did not began to say unto each other, “Is it not become unarmed. Indeed, soon recovering evident that Drona, that warrior conversant his senses, he became comforted, with the mightiest of weapons, will consume remembering that his son was incapable of us all like a raging fire consuming a heap of being resisted by foes. Rushing towards the straw? There is none competent to even son of Prishata and desirous of slaying that look at him in battle. Conversant with the hero who had been ordained as his slayer, he ways of morality, Arjuna (who alone is a covered him with a thousand keen shafts, match for him) will not fight with him.” equipped with kanka feathers. … Beholding Beholding the sons of Kunti afflicted with Drona stationed on the field for the the shafts of Drona and inspired with fear, extermination of the Kshatriya race, the Krishna, endued with great intelligence and [gods] quickly came thither, with the Bearer devoted to their welfare, addressed Arjuna of sacrificial libations at their head, and, and said, “This foremost of all bowmen is desirous of taking Drona unto the region of incapable of being ever vanquished by force Brahman, addressed Drona, that ornament of in battle, by the very gods with Vasava at battle, and said, “You are fighting their head. When, however, he lays aside unrighteously. The hour of thy death is his weapons, he becomes capable of being come. Laying aside thy weapons in battle, slain on the field even by human beings. O Drona, behold us stationed here. After Casting aside virtue, sons of Pandu, adopt this, it behoveth thee not to perpetrate such now some contrivance for gaining the exceedingly cruel deeds. Thou art versed in victory, so that Drona of the golden chariot the Vedas and their branches. Thou art may not slay us all in battle. Upon the fall devoted to the duties enjoined by truth, of his son Asvatthama he will cease to fight, especially, thou art a Brahmana. Such acts I think. Let someone, therefore, tell him that do not become thee. Lay aside thy weapons. Asvatthama, hath been slain in battle.” This Drive away the film of error that shrouds advice, however, was not approved by thee. Adhere now to the eternal path. The Arjuna. Others approved of it, but period for which thou art to dwell in the Yudhishthira accepted it only with great world of men is now full. Thou hast, with difficulty. Then the mighty-armed Bhima the Brahma weapon, burnt men on earth that slew with a mace a foe-crushing, terrible and are unacquainted with weapons. This act huge elephant named Asvatthama, of his that thou hast perpetrated, O regenerate one, own army, belonging to Indravarman, the is not righteous. Lay aside thy weapons in chief of the Malavas. Approaching Drona battle without delay, O Drona, do not wait then in that battle with some bashfulness, longer on earth. Do not perpetrate such a Bhimasena began to exclaim aloud, sinful act.” Hearing these words of theirs as “Asvatthama has been slain!” That elephant also those spoken by Bhimasena, and named Asvatthama having been thus slain, beholding Dhrishtadyumna before him, Bhima spoke of Asvatthama's slaughter. Drona became exceedingly cheerless in Keeping the true fact within his mind, he battle. Burning with grief and exceedingly afflicted, he enquired of Kunti's son up his mind to say what he desired. Fearing Yudhishthira as to whether his son to utter an untruth, but earnestly desirous of (Asvatthama) had been slain or not. Drona victory, Yudhishthira distinctly said that firmly believed that Yudhishthira would Asvatthama was dead, adding indistinctly never speak an untruth even for the sake of the worlds, “the elephant.” Before this, the sovereignty of the three worlds. For this Yudhishthira's chariot had stayed at a height reason, that bull among Brahmanas asked of four fingers’ breadth from the surface of Yudhishthira and not anyone else. He had the earth; after, however, he had said that hoped for truth from Yudhishthira from the untruth, his chariot and animals touched the latter's infancy. earth. Hearing those words from Meanwhile, Krishna, knowing that Drona, Yudhishthira, the mighty chariot-warrior that foremost of warriors, was capable of Drona, afflicted with grief over the death of sweeping all the Pandavas off the face of the his son, yielded to the influence of despair. earth, became much distressed. Addressing By the words, again, of the Rishis, he Yudhishthira he said, “If Drona fights, filled regarded himself a great offender against the with rage, for even half-a-day, I tell you high-souled Pandavas. Hearing now about truly, your army will then be annihilated. the death of his son, he became perfectly Save us, then, from Drona. under such cheerless and filled with anxiety; upon circumstances, falsehood is better than truth. beholding Dhrishtadyumna that chastiser of By telling an untruth for saving a life, one is foes could not fight as before. not touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth spoken unto women, or in marriages, or for saving a king, or for rescuing a Brahmana.” While Krishna and Yudhishthira were thus talking with each other, Bhimasena said, “As soon, O monarch, as I heard of the means by which the high-souled Drona might be slain, putting forth my prowess in battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant, like unto the elephant of Sakra himself, belonging to Indravarman, the chief of the Malavas, who was standing within your army. I then went to Drona and told him, ‘Asvatthama has been slain, O Brahmana! Cease, then, to fight.’ Verily, O bull among men, the preceptor did not believe in the truth of the words. Desirous of victory as you are, accept the advice of Krishna. Tell Drona, O King, that the son of Saradwat's daughter is no more. Told by you, that bull among Brahmanas will never fight. Thou, O ruler of men, art reputed to be truthful in the three worlds.” Hearing those words of Bhima and induced by the counsels of Krishna, and owing also to the inevitability of destiny, Yudhishthira made