Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1061

c4.1061

5) The Mahābhārata Battle and Aśvatthāmā. In Sabhā Parva we find Aśvatthāmā participating in the Rājasūya of Yudhiṣṭhira. After that we meet him only at the Kurukṣetra war. Fighting on the side of the Kauravas he played a very important role in that war. He killed many veteran warriors and kings including the following: Nīla, Añjanaparvā, Suratha, Śatruñjaya, Balānīka, Jayānīka, Jayāśva, Śrutāśva, Hemamālī, Vṛṣadhara, Candrasena, the ten sons of Kuntibhoja, Sudarśana, Vṛddhakṣetra, Cedirāja, Malayadhvaja and Suratha. He defeated many including Śikhaṇḍī, Abhimanyu, Virāṭa, Sātyaki and Vindhya. By using Āgneyāstra (the arrow of fire) he made Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna fall fainting in the battle-field. He commanded the Kaurava army once. He killed many Pāñcālas and Somakas while they were sleeping. In Chapter 139 of Droṇa Parva we read about Arjuna defeating Aśvatthāmā in a single combat one day.